Councilor Fiebelkorn has directly tried to undermine the city upzoning process that goes to vote on 2/18.  Her allies in the State Senate (Moe Maestas and Heather Berghmans) created Sb-131 and HB-103.  HB-103 goes to a committee vote tomorrow! SB-131 was killed in committee for trying to upzone the whole state, even after Tammy announced her presence as a city councilor and expressed her support.

HB-103 seeks to play with the tax code and remove zoning as a means to reassess property taxes, but it has major issues.  

Here’s the problems:

-It makes all property valuations based on use alone when zoning codes are necessary to determine assessment.

-By switching to use instead of zoning, there is no unified definition across the state of what constitutes a change in use that could reassess your property.  

-If this change create a loss in tax revenue, it triggers another state law which would raise tax rates and remove the 3% cap to make up the loss in revenue.

-Basing on use leaves interpretation to local municipalities.  This means even with a residential use, allowing for additional permissive uses via zoning changes for  retail, apartments, duplexes, and townhomes then it could be considered a change in use and lead to re-assessment.

-Basing valuation on use alone also creates the potential for incorrect valuation and the potential legal implications for local assessors.

- If there is a zoning change to include  permissive uses, then how can a tax assessor determine the proper valuation when permissive uses increase the value of the property but they might not be the current use?

HB-103 muddies the tax law even worse when it comes to zoning and is intended to usurp the current city zoning process underway.

Please email the city council and tell them that Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn has attempted to undermine the city’s legislative process with her support of statewide upzoning.  Also tell your councilors you do not support Upzoning in Albuquerque.

Next, please send an email to the state senate committee hearing HB-103 on 2/14 at 1:30.  Tell them do not pass this bill as it attempts to undermine the legislative process of the city of Albuquerque AND the bill lacks definition and could lead to increased or improper taxation as well as legal disputes.

The emails for the city council are:

stelles@cabq.gov
stephenchavez@cabq.gov
joaquinbaca@cabq.gov
bacajoaquin9@gmail.com
namolina@cabq.gov
kpena@cabq.gov
cquezada@cabq.gov
bbassan@cabq.gov
dawnmarie@cabq.gov
danlewis@cabq.gov
galvarez@cabq.gov
nrogers@cabq.gov
district6@cabq.gov
tfiebelkorn@cabq.gov
seanforan@cabq.gov
dchampine@cabq.gov
eromero@cabq.gov
rgrout@cabq.gov
rrmiller@cabq.gov

The emails for state senate are:

STBTC.zoom@nmlegis.gov

Carrie Hamblen

Office Phone: 505-986-4310
Email: carrie.hamblen@nmlegis.gov

Heather Berghmans

Office Phone: 505-986-4726
Email: heather.berghmans@nmlegis.gov

Joshua Sanchez

Office Phone: 505-986-4375
Email: jas4nm@gmail.com

Natalie Figueroa 

Office Phone: 505-986-4266
Email: natalie.figueroa@nmlegis.gov

Leo Jaramillio

Office Phone: 505-986-4260
Email: leo.jaramillo@nmlegis.gov

Micaelita Debbie O’Malley

Office Phone: 505-986-4306
Email: debbie.o'malley@nmlegis.gov

Gabriel Ramos

Office Phone: 505-986-4391
Email: gabriel.ramos@nmlegis.gov

William Sharer

Office Phone: 505-986-4877
Email: bill@williamsharer.com

Rex Wilson

Office Phone: 505-986-4395
Email: rex.wilson@nmlegis.gov

Peter Wirth

Office Phone: 505-986-4727
Email: peter.wirth@nmlegis.gov