Budget turmoil awaits Mayor-elect Berry

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - As Mayor-elect Richard "RJ" Berry gets ready to take over Albuquerque City, money is very much on his mind.

Berry acknowledged he will take office in three weeks facing a budget deficit estimated to be as high as $13 million.

In the meantime, he and his transition team have been putting every city department under a microscope talking to staff about work and resources.

Monday he talked to city residents at a luncheon for Albuquerque Press Women about his transition into office.

"Once I take office on Dec. 1, then I'll take some of the findings from the transition, and then take those forward and decide what areas we need to take a closer look at," Berry told KRQE News 13. It is still is too early to comment on any changes that may take place at City Hall including job or salary cuts, he added.

"We're in some financially difficult times so we're going taking a look at what we can do to return the best value to the taxpayer," Berry continued. "We'll start looking department by department, and then once I get in office on Dec. 1 we'll start making those decisions."

And it also is too early to tell how they will balance the budget, he said. City Chief Financial Officer Mark Valenzuela said the shortfall may hit $13 million.

"We don't have the final numbers, and it's going to take consultation with city councilors, it's going to take consultations with my budget office," Berry said. "There's a lot of people involved."

Berry said he plans to have some announcements about filling positions in his administration this week although none of those will be about Albuquerque's chief of police.