Council defers proposed gas tax in Albuquerque until September

Ballot space issues cited in Monday’s decision

A proposed 2-cents-a-gallon gas tax for motorists who fuel up in the city of Albuquerque is off the table for now.

City Council President Isaac Benton, the bill’s sponsor, pulled the item off Monday night’s agenda, saying the ordinance would be deferred until the Sept. 18 meeting. That’s significant because the proposal needed to have been approved at Monday night’s meeting to meet the deadline for it to appear on the Oct. 3 ballot. Voter approval is required to enact the tax, which would generate an estimated $4.8 million a year in new revenue for roadway and other transportation projects.

The proposal has garnered opposition from the Rio Grande Foundation, a libertarian-leaning group.

Benton said his decision to pull the gas tax from consideration at Monday night’s meeting was due, in part, to ballot space issues.

Specifically, a district judge has ruled that the city must print the entire seven-page Healthy Workforce Ordinance — and not a summary — on the ballot. Backers of the ordinance argue that the only way the city can do that is to print it in a font so small that it would be difficult to read. They want the city to include a summary on the ballot and to make the entire ordinance available in voting booths.

If approved by voters, the ballot initiative would require any business with a physical presence in Albuquerque to provide paid sick time off for full-time, part-time and temporary workers. Opponents argue that it would hurt businesses because of higher costs and record-keeping requirements. Supporters say the ordinance would ensure that workers don’t have to choose between their paychecks and caring for themselves or a loved one.

The council included the sick leave ordinance in the election resolution it adopted.

Councilor Klarissa Peña proposed an amendment to the election resolution to require the city clerk to include the summary of the sick leave ordinance in the same font size as the bond questions, even if the full text of the proposed ordinance appears in a smaller font size. Her amendment, which was adopted by the council, also requires the city clerk to provide voters with a copy of the proposed ordinance in 12 point type.