“Help Bake our New Urban County Layer Cake”
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 26 th 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 4 th 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 10 th 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.
By: Ray Padilla, Chair, Unification Charter Commission
Albuquerque Political Structure & History
• Albuquerque's Government
• Albuquerque's Public Officers
• Laws That Govern Albuquerque
• History of Albuquerque's Neighborhoods
• Public Resources
Bernalillo County
Political Structure
• The
County's Government
• The County's Public Officers
• Laws That Govern Counties
• Public Resources
