City Council Committee of the Whole Voting to Advance FY27 Budget Committee Substitute Focused on Workforce Investment, Fiscal Stability, and Long-Term Sustainability

ALBUQUERQUE – The Albuquerque City Council Committee of the Whole (COW) will vote to advance a Committee Substitute for R-26-17, the City’s Fiscal Year 2027 Operating Budget on Thursday evening. The Committee Substitute, sponsored by Committee of the Whole Chair City Councilor Renée Grout, reflects priorities related to employee compensation, fiscal responsibility, operational sustainability, and long-term financial planning.

The Committee Substitute advances implementation of the City’s Evergreen classification and compensation study by moving the City’s lowest-paid employees toward the twenty-fifth percentile while also proposing an additional one percent wage increase for employees citywide.

“This substitute reflects the Council’s commitment to strengthening the City workforce while maintaining fiscal discipline during a challenging budget year,” said Committee of the Whole Chair City Councilor Renée Grout. “The Council focused on making targeted structural changes that improve long-term sustainability instead of relying on short-term budget assumptions.”

During the budget review process, Councilors identified concerns regarding the presentation and treatment of projected available fund balance amounts within the General Fund. The Committee Substitute preserves fiscal flexibility through reserve mechanisms tied to year-end expenditure performance and audited financial results.

The substitute also includes several structural reallocations intended to reduce pressure on the General Fund and better align recurring operational costs with dedicated revenue sources. These reallocations include shifting certain transportation-related expenditures — including street lighting operating and maintenance costs, crossing guard expenditures, and APD’s Drag Racing Tactical Plan — into the Automated Speed Enforcement Fund.

In addition, the substitute maintains the Council’s focus on improving permitting and development processes, supporting essential City services, and maintaining long-term infrastructure investment priorities.

“The Council’s goal was to produce a more structurally sustainable budget that balances workforce needs, operational realities, and fiscal reserves in an increasingly constrained revenue environment,” Councilor Grout said. “This is a working budget that reflects extensive review, significant discussion, and the Council’s responsibility to ensure long-term financial stability for the City.”

The Committee Substitute for R-26-17 will continue through the City Council budget process, including additional amendments and final Council consideration later this month. 

Thursday’s meeting on May 14^th, 2026 is the third and final Committee of the Whole meeting to discuss the FY2027 proposed amended budget.  

The public will have an opportunity to provide public comments on the budget as amended at the regular meeting of the City Council on Monday May 18, 2026.