Cellar Nixes Finance postponement from the railway path to the Westside Sports Complex

By Elizabeth McCall

The mayor Tim Keller took the decision of the city council on Thursday afternoon to move the financing from a top-class, multi-use trail project to a planned sports complex project on the Westside after a group of Albuquerque residents asked the city councils on Wednesday evening .

In his veto message, Keller said that he still supported the sports complex project, but not the transfer of money.

“I reject the city council’s decision to redirect half a million dollars from the railway path to another project,” wrote Keller. “I do not support hole projects and communities against each other, but should maintain the promise of an Albuquerque.”

The city council approved the move during its meeting on February 3. The city councils voted for the transfer of $ 500,000 from the current railway path project one 7-mile multi-use, which combine the historical goals of the city-with the planned Ken Sanchez Indoor Sports Complex.

“I hope you are still open and consider options to trace this decision back,” Andrew Keleher Andrew Keleher told the city councilors on Wednesday evening. “I took part in St. Pius youth sports, taught and continue to train, so I am very for the Westside Youth Sports Complex. However, I think the way this financing has been secured is a very disturbing precedent of the council members who are looking for financing on other projects, other districts. “

The deputy director of the Council, Mark Motsko, said on Wednesday the financing came from a gross receipt tax bond and the council, “converted a few interest within a GRT bond, so that we connected with our tax revenue of gross income”. He also confirmed that no state financing was postponed within this adjustment calculation.

“We moved half a million from the Rail Trail to Ken Sanchez Indoor Sports Complex,” said Motsko. “Then because these are bonds and we earn interest rates for these bonds, the employees found that we had another half million of around 600,000 US dollars in interest and that they were able to use in Ken Sanchez in this way. The Ken Sanchez Indoor Sports Complex is fully financed, and the rail trail, a multiple, multi -year project, is also financed for several phases. ”

Council member Tammy Fiebelkorn was the only city council that voted against the efforts, and said that it was a “dangerous precedent of starting donations from supporters”, and she hopes not to see it again. Fiebelkorn asked the Chief Administrative Officer Samantha Sengel whether it agreed that the projects would be fully financed.

Sengel said the Keller government did not agree that the decision of the Council fully finances the Rail Trail project.

“We had 1.5 million US dollars for the Bail Trail from the GRT tax interest, especially because we have this project in progress and continue to finance this project,” said Sengel. “Removing the 500,000 US dollars and moving to the Westside Sports Complex reduces the current available funds for the Rail Trail.”

Council member Dan Lewis said it was normal to shift the financing, and so the Council will “carry out several projects”.

“We’re doing this all the time,” said Lewis. “Lord. Motsko just explained exactly how both projects are fully financed. Whether the administration agrees with it or not, it does not change the fact that it is fully financed. I would not have been right if I did not know that these projects also knew I think it is a great example of working on projects for the people in the city.

The former city councilor Ken Sanchez, who died in office in 2020, initially presented the idea of ​​the sports complex and council member Louie Sanchez continued the plan after he was elected.

“I support the Rail Trail 100% and know that everyone else does it, but we’ll see a 100 million dollar project about many, many, many years,” said Louie Sanchez. “It is less than 0.5%, so that less than half a percentage point actually build and run another facility.”

The sports complex is to switch between the Coors Boulevard and the Atrisco Drive NW south of St. Joesphs Drive NW and is expected to include basketball and volleyball courts for tournaments and other events.

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