City Councilor Stephanie Telles and Office of Inspector General Announce Joint Effort to Modernize Albuquerque's Whistleblower Protections

Albuquerque, NM – City Councilor Stephanie W. Telles and Interim City Inspector General Peter Pacheco today announced they will jointly develop a package of ordinance amendments to modernize the City's Whistleblower Protection Ordinance and align it with national best practices for transparency and accountability. The announcement comes on International Whistleblower Protection Day, observed annually on July 30.

The initiative builds on Ordinance O-26-41 and Councilor Telles’ amendments, which — if adopted at the August 3^rd City Council Meeting — will close several structural gaps in the City's current whistleblower framework, including the loss-of-protection penalty for employees who don't follow a prescribed reporting sequence, a stronger legal definition of "protected disclosure," a more workable retaliation standard, and explicit anonymous-reporting protections.

"Passing O-41 alone isn’t enough and I urge my colleagues on the Council to pass this bill with my proposed amendments. That’s a strong step forward, but it still isn't the finish line," said Councilor Telles. “Our work lives inside a code of ethics that doesn't bend for convenience. We need to ensure our policies are grounded in our laws if we want to strengthen public trust and remove any potential chilling effect on prospective whistleblowers. By embedding these principles in our governing laws, we are making a promise to Burqueños that we take our roles seriously when it comes to protecting our city’s resources.”

"A whistleblower ordinance is only as strong as the intake, investigation, and reporting structure behind it," said Interim Inspector General Peter Pacheco. "Protecting those who come forward is essential, but so is ensuring that every disclosure is handled through an independent, fair, and transparent process. I appreciate Councilor Telles in bringing these issues forward and look forward to working with her and the entire City Council to modernize Albuquerque's Whistleblower Protection Ordinance in a way that strengthens accountability, protects whistleblowers, and preserves the independence of the Office of Inspector General."

Councilor Telles and Mr. Pacheco said the next phase of reform will focus on the gaps that current amendments do not fully close, including defining oversight authority, financial incentive to report, guaranteed court access, binding timelines and public reporting, and coordinated ordinance alignment.

The effort is guided by the National Whistleblower Center's four core elements of effective Whistleblower law: confidentiality, financial incentive to report, guaranteed retaliation remedies with real court access, and a single, independent reporting channel. Telles and Pacheco said their goal is for Albuquerque's ordinance to meet all four elements fully, positioning the City as a national model for sunshine, transparency, and accountability in local government.

Councilor Telles is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and practicing forensic accountant. Pacheco holds three professional certifications: Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Certified Inspector General (CIG), and Certified Inspector General Investigator (CIGI). Each of these credentials is governed by a formal, enforceable code of professional ethics covering independence, objectivity, confidentiality, and continuing professional standards administered respectively by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and the Association of Inspectors General.

“When I took my oath, I made a promise to extend my ethical responsibility beyond my professional standards, to subordinate any self-interest to the interest of those I serve. This is my oath in demonstrable action,” said Councilor Telles. “Mayor Keller is himself a fraud examiner and former State Auditor, and I believe he understands better than most why this work matters. I am hopeful for his full support as we move this forward.”

"The work of the inspector general exists because institutions need someone bound to look at the facts, not the politics," said Interim Inspector General Peter Pacheco. "Professional certifications carry with them an obligation to uphold independence, objectivity, integrity, and accountability. Those principles guide every investigation we conduct and are essential to protecting whistleblowers, ensuring fair and impartial oversight, and maintaining the public's confidence in its government."

Together, Telles and Pacheco bring 37 combined years of public and private-sector governance, audit, and legal, and investigative experience to this effort. Background both say informs the urgency and the technical specifics of the reforms they're proposing.