ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Lawmakers work all session to get funding to their districts, and the bill that authorizes those projects is on the governor’s desk. There’s money for more than 300 projects within the city limits of Albuquerque alone.
The projects range from improvements to the aquarium, parks and libraries, and the state fairgrounds.
“This will give us a jumpstart, if you will, to really take a giant leap forward on some of the safety issues we’ve been trying to address. Camera systems, that’s something that we plan on using with this money for public safety,” said Dan Mourning, general manager for Expo New Mexico and the New Mexico State Fair. Expo New Mexico is looking at getting $6 million if the governor signs the Capital Outlay Bill which they’ll use for electrical, infrastructure, and safety upgrades.
Those 300 projects in Albuquerque account for roughly $170 million. There are the usual themes in the money with more than 30 road projects, around 10 museum projects, and nearly 40 projects dedicated to improving parks—including $6 million toward a long-awaited pool and water play area at North Domingo Baca Park.
The bill also includes money to boost Albuquerque’s signature event: “The $7.1 is split up between two different categories: the first category is $4.1 million dedicated to improvements at the Albuquerque International Balloon Park, but then $3 million was dedicated to landing sites outside the park region,” said Sam Parks, executive director of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.
UNM, CNM, and public schools have almost half of those Albuquerque projects in the capital outlay. The governor can still go through the capital outlay bill and veto specific items. Of all the funding for Albuquerque projects green-lit by the legislature, the Gateway Center got the most, at almost $10 million.