"Help Bake our New Urban County Layer Cake"
Printed in Albuquerque Tribune, Insight and Opinion,
February 25, 2003
The Unification Charter Commission (UCC), a group of citizens appointed
by the City of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County last November,
has the responsibility of writing a new charter for a new local
government. In November of this year, you the voters of the city
and county will have the opportunity to approve or disapprove the
proposed new charter. If it passes, both governments will begin
the process of merging into a new government for a new municipal
county.
Why a new charter?
A constitutional amendment passed by statewide voters last year
put the process of city-county unification in motion. The question
now is how the new government will operate. The process of writing
a new charter is an opportunity to address concerns with the existing
governments and envision one that better meets the needs of our
growing and diverse community. Local government affects people on
a day-to-day basis more than any other level. As many have already
testified at our meetings, the structure of government influences
the behavior and effectiveness of elected officials and the ability
of a community to move forward with a long-term vision and goals.
This process will affect our quality of life far into the future.
Here are the goals set forth in our recently adopted Preamble:
"We, the people of Bernalillo County and the City of Albuquerque
in order to attain greater local self-determination, to attain
an ethnical, responsible and efficient unified government, to
promote and protect equal civil and political rights to all, to
preserve and foster our cultural and historical diversity, to
protect and enrich our variety of lifestyles with fair and effective
tax and fiscal policies do ordain and establish this Charter to
assure economic, environmental and cultural prosperity throughout
our community."
Process
The Commission wishes to fully engage the community in the exciting
task of creating a new charter. Many important decisions lie ahead.
We must decide the form of government, how many districts will be
represented on the new governing body, the role of the mayor and
professional staff, whether elections will be partisan or non-partisan,
taxing and fiscal issues, how land use and planning will be addressed,
and a plan for transition. These tasks are to be accomplished by
following an organized process of decision-making culminating in
a final charter draft by mid-September.
Who we are
This is not an attempt of one government to "take over"
the other. Fairness and balance are built into the process. The
makeup of the Commission includes five members appointed by the
City of Albuquerque and five by Bernalillo County representing both
rural and urban areas. As the chair elected by the other ten commissioners,
it is my job to make sure all views are fully discussed. Approvals
require a seven-member majority, ensuring that at least one member
appointed by each existing government concurs in every decision.
Comprised of university professors, attorneys including a tax attorney,
retired city and county employees, the director of a community non-profit
agency, consultants and businesspeople, members of the Commission
think and act independently. Many commissioners have a strong background
of experience in government service, but none has a vested interest
in the status quo or a particular outcome; all are free to consider
what they believe is the best solution for the entire community.
Economic Benefits
The new government of Albuquerque-Bernalillo County would have full
municipal powers. Former Mayor David Rusk in a report to the Commission
lists resulting attributes that would raise our national profile
in marketing and competing for economic growth.
- With over 550,000 residents, the new Albuquerque-Bernalillo
County would become the country’s 26th largest city, larger
than Cleveland, New Orleans, Portland, and Charlotte and just
behind Seattle and Denver.
- At 1,159 square miles, the new government would govern the
4th largest land area of any municipality in the country.
- The new Albuquerque-Bernalillo County government would contain
more farmland than any other combined government (465,000 acres
or 726 square miles).
- A unified Albuquerque-Bernalillo County would contain 100,000
acres of forest land and natural areas, with more open space than
any other city in America and would be the only city with a national
wilderness within its limits.
- Albuquerque-Bernalillo County would contain one of the country’s
most educated city workforces, with over 30% of all working residents
having college degrees and over 13% with graduate or professional
degrees, tying us with Minneapolis for 10th place nationally.
- The new Albuquerque-Bernalillo County would be one of the most
diverse and integrated cities in America, with 42% Hispanic, 5%
Native American, 3% Black, 2% Asian, and 48% Anglo populations.
The city and county now operate under dozens of joint powers agreements.
Other possible benefits of unification include greater efficiencies
through combining staffs, avoiding duplication and conflicts in
studies, plans and policies, and ability to obtain a fair share
of gross receipts taxes. Nationally, unification of city and county
governments has in many cases achieved greater efficiencies in services,
improved local tax bases, and increased the responsiveness and accountability
of local governments.
Community participation
We would like the writing of a new charter to be a transparent process.
To get the word out and help us make these decisions, we have established
a website (www.abcucc.net) through which the community can access
information and e-mail comments directly to commissioners. We invite
you to participate and testify at a series of twenty remaining hearings,
all of which are televised and open to the public. We are working
with the Shared Vision organization and the League of Women Voters
to help educate and make the public aware of the process. In addition,
STAR Group, LLC is assisting us with our plan to hold eight community
meetings in different parts of the city and county, gathering facts
and bringing the dialogue to the people.
We invite you to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
to help shape civic life and guide our community into the future.
We invite everyone to participate and hope that you will do so with
an open mind and willingness to be part of a broad dialogue and
fact-gathering process.
Ray Padilla, Chair, Unification Charter Commission
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