Albuquerque Tax Reform
A gross receipts tax reduction is on the agenda for final passage at Monday’s Albuquerque City Council meeting. If you have the time and inclination to support this tax reduction “in person,” public testimony will be allowed via Zoom. You can sign up here. The meeting begins at 5pm and will be held on Monday, March 21st, 2022.
In 2018, without a public vote on the issue, Mayor Keller rammed a 3/8ths cent hike in the gross receipts tax through Albuquerque City Council. This was a major tax increase considering that the City’s overall GRT “take” before the tax hike was 2.375%. That made Keller’s tax hike a nearly 9% increase in Albuquerque’s rate.
City revenues and spending has grown dramatically since Keller took office. Even when the annual budget freeze in the 2021 budget due to COVID 19 is included, the City’s budget is up 27 percent during the Keller Administration.
This surplus of money has led directly to wasteful spending programs like the $3 million pilot program to make the City’s bus system “free.” Unfortunately, Mayor Keller and his Administration remain opposed to this reasonable tax reduction, so we likely need every vote possible for a potential veto override.
Please support the 1/8th cent reduction sponsored by Councilor Dan Lewis that is up for a final vote on Monday by sending an email to city council:
If you’d prefer to compose your own email, you can send the email to all members of city council by using council@cabqnm.com.