City Clerk News

Today, Mayor Keller signed a sixth declaration of additional emergency procedures and assistance due to the novel Coronavirus Covid-19. Click here to view the declaration.

The public comment period for Jason Marks, the Mayor’s proposed appointee on the Board of Ethics and Campaign Practices is May 18, 2020 to June 1, 2020. Please click here to view Mr. Mark’s resume.  Any person shall be allowed to submit comments about the proposed member by written submission, electronically or otherwise, to the City Clerk. Please send electronic written submissions to [email protected]. Hard copies of written submissions may be sent to the Office of the City Clerk at 600 2^nd St. NW, Albuquerque NM 87102, 7^th Floor.  If you have any questions regarding this appointment please contact, Ethan Watson, City Clerk, at 505-924-3650.

Today, Mayor Keller signed a fifth declaration of additional emergency procedures and assistance due to the novel Coronavirus Covid-19. Click here to view the declaration.

During the signing, Mayor Keller also announced the City of Albuquerque's Covid-19 Reopening Plan. Click here to view the reopening plan.

Notice is hereby given that the Board of Ethics & Campaign Practices has scheduled a meeting for Wednesday, May 13, 2020 beginning at 10:00 A.M., via Zoom:

https://cabq.zoom.us/j/93841241245?pwd=TDluWHk0cHowQ05pMjUvSUg4SGJjQT09

To hear:

• Review and approval of minutes from Friday, February 28 meeting.
• Appeal in BOE 02-2020 Aycock vs Harris.

Except for any portion of the meeting that may be closed by the Board pursuant to the provisions of the New Mexico Open Meetings Act, the meeting will be open to the public.

Mayor Keller Signs Fourth Emergency Declaration of Local Emergency due to Novel Coronavirus Covid-19. Click here to view the Emergency Declaration.

Click here to view the guidelines.

Today, Mayor Keller signed a third declaration of additional emergency procedures and assistance due to the novel Coronavirus Covid-19. Click here to view the declaration.

April 4, 2020

Mayor Tim Keller and City Clerk Ethan Watson announced that regular meetings of City Boards and Commissions, which are central to the continuity of local government but had been suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak, will resume this week.

The City of Albuquerque has approximately eighty boards and commissions. These Boards and Commissions do critical work in a variety of areas, from development to environmental planning and air quality. Meetings will resume using virtual teleconferencing platforms.

“Our boards and commissions do crucial local governance work and are a key way for local residents to take ownership in the work at City Hall,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “Getting them back up in a way that preserves public input and transparency is an important part of engaging the community and keeping the door open to local government.”

To ensure compliance with the Open Meetings Act, all meetings will follow Attorney General Hector Balderas’ guidance to public entities, including adequate notice of public meetings, videoconferences over telephone meetings, roll call votes, and recording of meetings.

The City Clerk’s Office and the Legal Department are prioritizing boards that have time sensitive matters to consider, including the Development Review Board, the Environmental Planning Committee, the Air Quality Board, Albuquerque Development Commission, Lodger’s Tax Advisory Board, Open Space Advisory Board, and Transit Advisory Board.

For boards that have a history of public comment, the City is working on ways to allow the public to continue to comment. And for Boards that do meet during this crisis, the City is training the Boards and staff on use of electronic platforms to ensure public right to access but also ensuring there are appropriate safeguards for the Board and the public.

City Clerk Ethan Watson said, “Each of the City’s boards are different, but they all serve important functions, and we will be working with them to make sure they are connecting to the public in a way that is transparent and moves City business forward.”

Today, Mayor Keller issued a second declaration of additional emergency procedures and assistance due to the novel Coronavirus Covid-19. View the declaration here.

Today, Mayor Keller signed a declaration of local state emergency due to novel corona virus, Covid-19. Click here to view the declaration.

Mayor Keller signed the public health emergency powers provisions, O-20-4, which was passed at Monday’s City Council meeting.

Albuquerque, N.M – Today Mayor Tim Keller announced Ethan Watson as Albuquerque’s new City Clerk. Watson is an attorney with experience in the Clerk’s office and as a litigator on issues surrounding state and federal statutes including IPRA. For two years, he has served as the Deputy City Clerk for Open Government, and as Acting City Clerk for the past two months.

“Government works best when it is accountable to the people it serves.” said Mayor Tim Keller. “We’re making big strides making Albuquerque open and transparent, a commitment Ethan will uphold every day in the City Clerk’s office.”

Watson received his B.A. in Latin American Studies and Music from Emory University in 2006 and a J.D. from UNM in 2011.

Watson said, “From day one, I’ve shared this administration’s commitment to open government and transparency initiatives, and I am excited to continue working on these issues in the role of City Clerk.”

Watson fills the vacancy left by the resignation of former City Clerk Katy Duhigg. His appointment now goes to the City Council for approval.

Senior Elections Analyst Miriam Diemer has been appointed to fill the Deputy Clerk position being vacated by Watson. Diemer received her B.A. from Texas Tech University in 2005 and her M.A. in Political Science from American University in 2011. She has served in the City Clerk’s office since 2018.

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• Approval of Minutes from January 3, 2020 Meeting
• Settlement in BOE 06-2019
• Evidentiary Hearing in BOE 02-2019
• Consideration of Proposed BOE Rules

Except for any portion of the meeting that may be closed by the Board pursuant to the provisions of the New Mexico Open Meetings Act, the meeting will be open to the public.

Any disabled member of the public who wishes to attend the meeting and needs accommodations to attend or participate, such as sign language, interpretation, an amplifier, a reader or other form of accommodations, should contact Camille Cordova at 924-3650, at least 5 days prior to the meeting.  Also, disabled persons who need public documents such as meeting agendas, etc., in accessible format should contact Camille Cordova.

• Approval of Minutes from January 3, 2020 Meeting
• Possible Settlement BOE 02-19
• Possible Settlement BOE 06-19

Except for any portion of the meeting that may be closed by the Board pursuant to the provisions of the New Mexico Open Meetings Act, the meeting will be open to the public.

Any disabled member of the public who wishes to attend the meeting and needs accommodations to attend or participate, such as sign language, interpretation, an amplifier, a reader or other form of accommodations, should contact Camille Cordova at 924-3650, at least 5 days prior to the meeting.  Also, disabled persons who need public documents such as meeting agendas, etc., in accessible format should contact Camille Cordova.

Notice is hereby given that the Board of Ethics & Campaign Practices has scheduled a meeting for Friday, January 3, 2020 beginning at 2:00 P.M., in the VINCENT E. GRIEGO CHAMBERS, basement level of the City/County Building, to hear:

•  Approval of Minutes from December 6, 2019 Meeting
• Good Cause Extension for BOE 06-19

Except for any portion of the meeting that may be closed by the Board pursuant to the provisions of the New Mexico Open Meetings Act, the meeting will be open to the public.

Any disabled member of the public who wishes to attend the meeting and needs accommodations to attend or participate, such as sign language, interpretation, an amplifier, a reader or other form of accommodations, should contact Camille Cordova at 924-3650, at least 5 days prior to the meeting.  Also, disabled persons who need public documents such as meeting agendas, etc., in accessible format should contact Camille Cordova.

Notice is hereby given that the Board of Ethics & Campaign Practices has scheduled a meeting for Friday, January 10, 2020 beginning at 2:00 P.M., in the VINCENT E. GRIEGO CHAMBERS, basement level of the City/County Building, to hear:

• Approval of Minutes from January 3, 2020 Meeting
• Preliminary Hearing for BOE 08-19

Except for any portion of the meeting that may be closed by the Board pursuant to the provisions of the New Mexico Open Meetings Act, the meeting will be open to the public.

Any disabled member of the public who wishes to attend the meeting and needs accommodations to attend or participate, such as sign language, interpretation, an amplifier, a reader or other form of accommodations, should contact Camille Cordova at 924-3650, at least 5 days prior to the meeting.  Also, disabled persons who need public documents such as meeting agendas, etc., in accessible format should contact Camille Cordova.

ALBUQUERQUE – City Clerk Katy Duhigg announced today she is resigning from her post. Duhigg, who has served as an advocate for fair elections, open government, and transparency in her time as City Clerk, is stepping down from her post in order to run for office.

“Katy has dedicated her career to making government more open and responsive,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “She spent her tenure at the City improving transparency and making government work better for our community. With Katy at the helm, we revamped the City election code and reformed the code of ethics to help fix shortcomings in the oversight of elections and lobbying.” 

“It has been an honor to serve Albuquerque over the past year and a half,” said Duhigg. “I am proud of the reforms we made to the City’s Election Code, public financing, and Code of Ethics. We brought City elections in line with state law and emphasized transparency and accessibility so elections would serve people over politics. The record-setting turnout in the recent Local Election clearly shows that the City is heading in the right direction.”

Duhigg has served as City Clerk since August 2018. In that role she was the City’s chief records custodian and oversaw the 2019 Local Election for the City that included 14 candidates, a host of bond initiatives, and runoff elections in City Council Districts 2 and 4. This election was unique in that it was the first consolidated election under the new election laws that will combine municipal elections with other agencies in odd-numbered years.

Although City Clerk is an unclassified position filled by Mayoral appointment and confirmed by City Council, the City will post the job publicly for all qualified candidates to submit an application.

Deputy Clerk Ethan Watson has been named Acting City Clerk in the interim.

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The public comment period for James Breen, the City Councils’s proposed appointee for position 7 on the Board of Ethics and Campaign Practices is November 18, 2019 to December 2, 2019. Please click here to view Mr. Breens’s resume.  Any person shall be allowed to submit comments about the proposed member by written submission, electronically or otherwise, to the City Clerk. Please send electronic written submissions to [email protected]. Hardcopies of written submissions may be delivered to the Office of the City Clerk at 600 2^nd St. NW, Albuquerque NM 87102, 7^th Floor.  If you have any questions regarding this appointment please contact, Katy Duhigg, City Clerk, at 505-924-3650.

Except for any portion of the meeting that may be closed by the Board pursuant to the provisions of the New Mexico Open Meetings Act, the meeting is open to the public.

Any disabled member of the public who wishes to attend the meeting and needs accommodations to attend or participate, such as sign language, interpretation, an amplifier, a reader or other form of accommodations, should contact Miriam Diemer at 924-3650, at least 5 days prior to the meeting. Also, disabled persons who need public documents such as meeting agendas, etc., in accessible format should contact Miriam Diemer.

Click here to view notice of hearing.

The public comment period for Michael Cadigan, the Mayor’s proposed appointee for position 2 on the Board of Ethics and Campaign Practices is October 31, 2019 to November 14, 2019. Please click here to view Mr. Cadigan’s resume.  Any person shall be allowed to submit comments about the proposed member by written submission, electronically or otherwise, to the City Clerk. Please send electronic written submissions to [email protected]. Hardcopies of written submissions may be delivered to the Office of the City Clerk at 600 2^nd St. NW, Albuquerque NM 87102, 7^th Floor.  If you have any questions regarding this appointment please contact, Katy Duhigg, City Clerk, at 505-924-3650.

October 22, 2019

Following a unanimous City Council vote on the administration’s proposal, the ethics and lobbying landscape in Albuquerque will see changes after Mayor Tim Keller signed a package of significant reforms into law this morning at City Hall. The Mayor was joined by City Councilors and government accountability and transparency advocates.

“Our ethics reform package fixes shortcomings and closes loopholes in the oversight of elections and lobbying of elected officials, making sure that citizens have a local government that is transparent and accountable to them,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “These reforms are a promise kept to modernize these ordinances and make city government more open.”

The Code of Ethics governs the Board of Ethics, as well as disclosures required of elected officials. This reform takes politics out of appointments to the Board, sets clear guidelines regarding campaign complaint timelines, and increases disclosure requirements for elected officials.

The reform of the Lobbyist Ordinance makes public disclosure more meaningful, ensuring the public knows who has hired lobbyists and what issues they are hired to lobby on. It also increases the frequency with which lobbyists must file reports from one annual report to quarterly reports, making access to information timelier.

“Access to information is central to effective democracy,” said City Clerk Katy Duhigg. “Mayor Keller and the City Council stepped up to create a culture of transparency in the City, and these reforms remedy clear shortcomings in our ordinances.”

“Transparency is vital to our local government and elections,” said City Council President Klarissa Peña. “I was honored to work with my fellow Councilors, Mayor Keller, and City Clerk Katy Duhigg on this legislation to ensure our City’s accountability to our community.”

“Moving forward, it’s important for our government employees to know these reforms on ethics and transparency are our marching orders.” Said Councilor Borrego.

“Throughout history, innovations in democracy have come from cities.” Said Councilor Harris. “The City of Albuquerque is now a leader in ethics and transparency.”

“I was proud to be a co-sponsor of this bipartisan legislation.” Said Councilor Sanchez. “When it comes to ethics, we should be holding the very highest standard. There is no more important trust than the public’s trust.”

June 4, 2019

The 2019 Local Election cycle brought out 13 city council candidates seeking public funding in the four open districts. Yesterday, the City Clerk finished the process of verifying the $5 qualifying contributions, and certified 10 of the 13 candidates. Information on candidates who qualified can be found here: http://www.cabq.gov/vote/2019-candidates

The City Clerk’s office sought to make public funding more accessible by piloting a website that allowed for $5 qualifying contributions to be made electronically for the first time this year. Just shy of 1,000 total contributions were made on the website, with one candidate in particular getting nearly 50% of their contributions through the site.

“We believe the City’s public financing program has proven to be accessible, and we will continue to work with Mayor Keller and this administration to find more ways to improve and advance the program.” stated City Clerk, Katy Duhigg.

Candidates will have through June 28 to collect their 500 petition signatures to qualify as a candidate on the ballot. The City Clerk’s office will continue verification of those signatures throughout the month, and will post updates weekly.

April 24, 2019

As the 2019 campaign season gets underway this coming May, publicly financed candidates will have a new tool for reaching voters. The City Clerk’s office has announced the release of a pilot project that will allow candidates to collect their five-dollar qualifying contributions electronically.

The Clean Campaign Portal is a website created this year as a joint project between the City Clerk’s office and the Department of Technology and Innovation. Envisioned by Mayor Keller and built by local company, HoldMyTicket, the website allows voters to select a candidate running in the district they live in, verifies their voter registration, and processes their five-dollar electronic contribution.

The Clean Campaign Portal will make public financing more accessible to both voters and candidates. By providing automatic voter verification, candidates will have the tools to reach their voters. And by allowing for electronic contributions, voters have one more avenue to donate to their candidate.

“This website is one more step in making our elections more accessible and transparent. I ran a publicly financed campaign to become Mayor and am excited to see how this tool enhances the process,” stated Mayor Keller.

The City Clerk’s office has taken other steps in creating a more accessible and transparent election season. Prior to the exploratory period, the City Clerk held a public hearing and issued regulations for the Election Code and the Open and Ethical Election Code to assist candidates running for office. The City Clerk’s Office also released a 2019 Candidate Guide, created a video on how to use the campaign reporting site, and published an FAQ. All of these documents are available on the Clerk’s website and are meant to increase transparency and accessibility of the 2019 local election.

December 12, 2018

In an effort to keep constituents informed about upcoming elections, ethics reforms, public records, administrative hearings, and overall transparency initiatives at City Hall, City Clerk Katy Duhigg today announced the launch of official social media accounts on Twitter and Facebook.

“Through our social media accounts, we will be better able to keep Albuquerque residents informed about the important work we’re doing here in the Clerk’s office,” said Duhigg. “We’ll also be better able to alert folks to upcoming events, and elections that they may want to participate in.”

In the coming months, the City Clerk’s office will be actively participating in the legislative session, running a special mail-in election with important updates to the City’s public financing system for Mayoral and Council campaigns, organizing with the 2020 Census, and managing petition and public financing qualifications for the 2019 City Council races.

To learn more please follow the Albuquerque City Clerk’s office on Twitter or Facebook @CABQCityClerk.

Election Document

Download: Election Canvas: Nov. 20, 2018, Personnel Board

The next meeting of the City Personnel Board is April 11, 2018.

Notice Of Cancelation

The City Personnel Board meeting for Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018, has been canceled.

The next scheduled meeting is Feb. 14, 2018.

Download the certificate of canvas.

Download the Certificate of Canvass for the 2016 Personnel Board Election.

The City Council Appointee to the Board of Ethics is Rex Throckmorton. Please click here to view his resume. If you have any questions regarding this appointment please contact, Natalie Y. Howard, City Clerk, at 505-924-3650.