Councilors say Chavez not advocating for ABQ

Posted at: 10/19/2009 9:55 PM | Updated at: 10/19/2009 10:33 PM
By: Jeff Maher, Eyewitness News 4; Matthew Kappus, KOB.com

Councilor Debbie O'Malley says her soccer complex is in danger of being cut

The state's budget problems could put dozens of improvement projects in Albuquerque on the chopping block and some city councilors say Mayor Martin Chavez isn't helping fight for them at the special session.

City Councilor Debbie O'Malley says one of those projects is a balloon landing site near Osuna and Vista del Norte she hoped would be turned into a soccer complex. She says the project is likely dead and that Mayor Chavez isn't stepping up to save it or any other projects in Santa Fe.

"They're looking for money up there, the least we can do is advocate for them," O'Malley said. "Legislators called me all day today, I've been talking to them, they're like, 'Can you get somebody up here? Can you come up here? Where is everybody, I need help!' and there's no help."

Councilor Ray Garduno wants to build an Asian-American center at the Fairgrounds because he says there is a large Asian population in southeast Albuquerque that deserves something similar to the African-American Cultural Center.

"They're also, I think, disappointed that we don't have a presence there. We are the largest municipality. Roswell, Las Cruces, other folks are advocating for themselves, why we're not is just a mystery to me," Garduno said.

Both Garduno's and O'Malley's projects were set to get a portion of state funding that now may be taken back, putting the projects in limbo. The same goes for projects all over town including sidewalk and road improvements, and adding traffic signs and lights.

City Councilor-elect Dan Lewis says a push to add traffic signals at La Paz and Paradise Boulevard, and funding for the Paradise Hills Little League are also at risk.

A spokesperson for the mayor's office issued this response Monday:

"The administration wishes that councilors Garduno and O'Malley would have contacted our office about this issue. Within the last three days, Mayor Chavez met with Governor Richardson to discuss the capital program and CAO Ed Adams and CFO Mark Valenzuela have been in contact with legislators."

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