ABQ Journal Dinelli Guest Opinion Column: “Charter amendments are vendettas against Mayor, not good government”; Contact City Council And Tell Them To Vote “No” On Overriding Keller Veto And Charter Amendments

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On Sunday, August 4, the Albuquerque Journal published on its editorial pages the following Pete Dinell guest opinion column:

HEADLINE: “Charter amendments are vendettas against Mayor, not good government”

BY: PETE DINELLI, Albuquerque Resident

“On June 17, the Albuquerque City Council voted to pass three charter amendments to be placed on the November ballot for voter approval.

The first gives the City Council more authority in the process for removing the chief of police and the fire chief.

The second creates a process to fill vacancies on a committee to resolve separation of powers mandating council representation.

The third eliminates all runoff elections for mayor and City Council and whoever gets the plurality vote wins, with no runoff between the two top vote-getters.

On July 3, Mayor Tim Keller vetoed the plurality vote measure but declined to veto the other two. The council plurality vote charter amendment has been severely criticized by the general public, Common Cause New Mexico and Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver as ill-advised and a big step in the wrong direction.

The Keller veto could be overturned on a 6-to-3 vote. Council President Dan Lewis immediately vowed an override of the veto at the council’s Aug. 5 meeting.

City Councilor Klarissa Peña is also sponsoring two amendments abolishing staggered terms for City Council and mandating elections where all nine city councilors and the mayor would be up for election at the same time.

The purpose for having staggered terms for city councilor is stability and institutional knowledge. With all city councilors and mayor running at the same time, a 100% turnover at City Hall could happen, resulting in the election of officials who have very little or no knowledge of city government that is vitally needed for city policy and to get things done.

The five charter amendments are not the first time the City Council has attempted to mess with our election process and our government structure itself.

In April 2023, first-term city councilors Democrat Louie Sanchez and Republican Renee Grout announced draconian legislation proposing a city charter amendment for a public vote that would have made the mayor of Albuquerque a member of the City Council. They wanted to transfer all the mayor’s executive and city management duties to a city manager chosen by the City Council.

All the proposed changes to the charter by the City Council have absolutely nothing to do with good government, nor improving our election process, but reflect a personal vendetta against Mayor Tim Keller. The more conservative City Council has shown significant resistance to Mayor Keller’s progressive agenda as going too far.

Repeatedly, the current more conservative City Council has attempted to repeal ordinances and resolutions enacted by the previous more progressive City Council, and to limit the authority of Mayor Tim Keller to no avail as he outmaneuvers them and vetoes measures with the council unable to muster the necessary six votes to override the vetoes.

Prime examples include the following:

  1. A resolution to repeal or limit mayoral authority during a public health emergency.
  2. A resolution barring the city from mandating COVID-19 vaccines for the municipal government workforce.
  3. Repeal of a quarter-cent tax increase in gross receipts tax enacted a few years ago.
  4.  Repealing or attempting to amend the city’s “immigrant friendly” policy, calling it a “sanctuary city” policy and requiring APD to assist and cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

It is no secret Mayor Tim Keller is preparing to seek a third term. Confidential sources say city councilors Louie Sanchez and Brook Bassan are contemplating a run against Keller.

The results are charter amendments to reduce Keller’s reelection chances and to improve theirs. The City Council should not override the Keller plurality elections veto and vote “no” to eliminate staggered terms.”

Pete Dinelli is a former Albuquerque city councilor, former chief public safety officer and former chief deputy district attorney. You can read his daily news and commentary blog at www.PeteDinelli.com.

https://www.abqjournal.com/opinion/opinion-charter-amendments-are-vendettas-against-mayor-not-good-government/article_a2dbcc02-4978-11ef-86ec-df39be215780.html

Many thanks to the Albuquerque Journal for publication of the guest opinion column.

COMMENTARY AND ANALYIS

On Monday, August 5, the City Council meeting will be held in the Vincent E. Griego Council Chambers, basement level of the City of Albuquerque Government Center, 1 Civic Plaza NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102.  The meeting is open to the public. The meeting will begin at 5:00 p.m., and to speak during the meeting on the resolution during public comments, you must sign up beginning at 4:30 p.m.

Voters and residents are urged to attend the meeting or contact and voice their opinion and tell all city councilors and their city council service assistants to vote NO on overriding the Mayor’s veto on plurality elections and the Charter Amendments.

CITY COUNCIL PHONE: (505) 768-3100

CITY COUNCIL AND SUPPORT STAFF EMAILS

 

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About

Pete Dinelli was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is of Italian and Hispanic descent. He is a 1970 graduate of Del Norte High School, a 1974 graduate of Eastern New Mexico University with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and a 1977 graduate of St. Mary's School of Law, San Antonio, Texas. Pete has a 40 year history of community involvement and service as an elected and appointed official and as a practicing attorney in Albuquerque. Pete and his wife Betty Case Dinelli have been married since 1984 and they have two adult sons, Mark, who is an attorney and George, who is an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). Pete has been a licensed New Mexico attorney since 1978. Pete has over 27 years of municipal and state government service. Pete’s service to Albuquerque has been extensive. He has been an elected Albuquerque City Councilor, serving as Vice President. He has served as a Worker’s Compensation Judge with Statewide jurisdiction. Pete has been a prosecutor for 15 years and has served as a Bernalillo County Chief Deputy District Attorney, as an Assistant Attorney General and Assistant District Attorney and as a Deputy City Attorney. For eight years, Pete was employed with the City of Albuquerque both as a Deputy City Attorney and Chief Public Safety Officer overseeing the city departments of police, fire, 911 emergency call center and the emergency operations center. While with the City of Albuquerque Legal Department, Pete served as Director of the Safe City Strike Force and Interim Director of the 911 Emergency Operations Center. Pete’s community involvement includes being a past President of the Albuquerque Kiwanis Club, past President of the Our Lady of Fatima School Board, and Board of Directors of the Albuquerque Museum Foundation.