Councilors leery of proposed tax hike

Around 36 Albuquerque Police Department detectives are tasked with investigating crimes involving aggravated assault and battery not resulting in death, felony level domestic violence, white collar crime under $10,000, felony shoplifting, embezzlement and others.

After the burglary unit was done away with due to the department’s staffing shortage, they are now investigating those crimes, too.

While some city councilors were hesitant to fully endorse the tax increase expected to be heard at Monday’s meeting, they all agreed the city and APD are in a tough financial spot.

“I don’t think we disagree with their math at all,” said

Councilor Pat Davis, referencing a report on the $40 million budget deficit released by Mayor Tim Keller on Friday.

However, Davis said he would like to see a more detailed plan of what the city would use the additional revenue for within the police department before he comes fully onboard with the proposed three-eighths gross receipts tax proposed by Council President Ken Sanchez, a Democrat, and Councilor Trudy Jones, a Republican.

“I’m willing to go along if they can show how it’ll be used,” Davis said.

Sanchez said he expects the ordinance to go to a vote on Monday and was grateful for the administration’s research on the deficit.

“They (the Keller administration) really understand budgets and understand the dilemma we are in,” Sanchez said.

In a newsletter to his constituents, Councilor Isaac Benton said he supports the tax increase.

“While I support the tax, I’m very concerned about the talk about all of the revenue going only to public safety,” Benton wrote in the newsletter. “While public safety is a top priority and I support some of the tax being used for that purpose, we have a lot of other needs in order to provide adequate basic services.”

Councilor Diane Gibson said while she’s not yet fully committed to the increase, the city must take action on the deficit.

“I absolutely understand that the city cannot continue maintaining, much less prospering, without some changes,” she said.

A public vote on the increase is not necessary because the state Legislature allowed counties and municipalities to impose the three-eighths tax after it did away with taxes on food and medicine in 2005.

The legislation makes public safety and APD’s staffing shortage a priority.

“The community is not getting the police department they deserve,” said Shaun Willoughby, president of the Albuquerque Police Officers Association. “We (APD) are in a death spiral.”

Monday’s City Council meeting will be at 5 p.m. at One Civic Plaza NW.