On March 3, the Albuquerque City Council voted to override Mayor Tim Keller’s veto on the allocation of $500,000 from the Rail Trail to the Ken Sanchez Westside Indoor Sports Complex.
During the council meeting, councilors overrode the mayor’s veto with an 8-1 vote, saying both projects could use the funding. The decision means the city would re-appropriate the $500,000 back toward the Rail Trail and another $500,000 for the sports complex.
Councilor Joaquín Baca, who represents Downtown, said the city can have the Rail Trail, as well as doing work on other parts of the city.
“We can work this out,” Baca said. “I don’t think we didn’t need to go this far in terms of how much time and energy was put into this.”
On Feb. 20, Keller vetoed the council’s decision to move the funds across projects.
The Rail Trail will connect neighborhoods, provide safe pedestrian and bike friendly routes, tell the story of us through its design, and is already under construction at the Central crossing and in the Sawmill district. The Chamber has long been a vocal supporter of this project as it would help revitalize the areas and encourage economic development in the heart of our city.
Prior to the override, the mayor said, “I do not support taking funding away from a project already under construction. I stand with our community and am exercising my line-item veto authority to keep Rail Trail progress on track. We will continue to work with the City Council to secure funding for both the Rail Trail and the Indoor Sports Complex, projects I have championed from day one.”