ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Every two years, the city of Albuquerque puts together a bond package for voters to approve. This year, the city is looking at its biggest one yet with 200 million dollars. The bond would improve roads, parks, and public safety.
But even with a historical general obligation bond, there’s still just not enough money to get everything done. Mark Motsko is the city’s Capital Implementation Program Official. He explains, “The problem every two years, we explain to the voters, there are always more needs than there is funding available and this year is no different.”
For example, the widening project at Paseo del Norte is costing the city tens of millions of dollars and can’t be funded with just GO bonds. “What we do is we have our friends at the federal government give us money, the COG, the council of government, appropriates that money, and then we have our local match,” said Motsko.
But the city will work with what it gets to rehabilitate buildings and improve city facilities and infrastructure. The 2023 GO bond package would set aside at least 50 million dollars for municipal development. One million would go towards completing projects like at the intersection of Alameda and Barstow. Motsko explained, “We go from four lanes to two lanes so we’ll be able to open up that lane.”
While road infrastructure projects come with construction and traffic woes, officials say it’s a great opportunity to invest in the city. “People like to complain about seeing the orange barrels and everything but we see the orange barrels as a sign of progress whether we’re building new bike lanes or building new facilities for pedestrians or medians and landscaping the medians,” Motsko continued.
Even if voters approve the 200 million dollar GO bond, the city’s tax rate will stay the same. The multi-million bond program election questions will go before Albuquerque’s city council on Wednesday, June 21.
