Very Bad Things

Two hot button bills on the Jan. 19 City Council agenda—the Old Town missile bill and a Montaño restriping compromise—were deferred when Councilor Debbie O’Malley fell ill and left after the break. The recently passed quarter-cent public safety tax budgeted money for social services. Five resulting bills passed, funding programs for adolescent substance abuse treatment, services for victims of sexual assault, child witnesses of domestic violence, treatment for domestic violence offenders and DWI workplace education.

City leaders planning the year long blowout for Albuquerque’s 300^th birthday praised the coming celebrations as a way to transform the Duke City into destination city for the tourist trade and urged the city to catch up with corporate donations for the ad-fest.

If you’re interested in council business, get ready to sit through more and longer meetings. In December 2002, Councilor Miguel Gomez sponsored a bill eliminating council committees, where bills were initially thrashed out, in favor of having more full council meetings. The new system didn’t work too well, and about a year later, councilors returned to the committee structure. But Councilors Sally Mayer and Gomez moved to dump committees again and move to three or more general meetings a month. The bill passed 5-3, Councilors Griego, Cadigan and Heinrich opposed.