counselor wanted to get your reaction to the mayor's state of the city address let me just start broadly here uh considering some of the themes themes he has laid out in earlier state of the city addresses what was your general takeaway from this one for 2023 a lot of talk um you know the mayor said that the promise of Albuquerque is is on its way to being realized I'm not sure he didn't really describe what that promise is I think very well but I would think that the promise of Albuquerque would be uh that we would be able to ensure that the people in this city would have a safe city to live in uh would have a city where there's opportunity and prosperity uh this is not a safe City right now we're still considered one of the most dangerous cities in America um at best our economy is stagnant a recent study came out they studied 175 cities in America large cities and we're at the bottom of the bucket when it comes to Prosperity when it comes to economic growth and activity uh and yet cities like Boise and Colorado Colorado [Music] Springs Boise Lubbock Phoenix cities all around us are just experiencing some incredible economic growth and yet uh you know Albuquerque continues to uh to be hurting when it comes to our economy and certainly when it comes to Public Safety and so you know I said last year that that it seemed like uh this mayor uh just doesn't realize or forgets what city he's living in it's just not the reality what did he miss specifically in your in your view the biggest takeaway that you would have wanted to hear that you didn't hear addressed by the mayor well I look you know we all want concrete actions we all want to see um uh you know certainly these these policies being executed that are going to make it make us safe and improve Public Safety and we look at our budget this last year that the uh the mayor proposed he's already proposed a less than uh uh you know fewer officer this year than last year the City of Albuquerque is our the city council has continued to fund uh the executive uh you know staff our city by the tune of millions and millions of unprecedented amounts of money more than more money than our city has ever had before uh and yet we're still a dangerous city without a whole lot of results and so the mayor mentioned some what he called some concrete actions and you know talked about gun crime uh enforcing gun crime downtown uh we should already be doing this I mean that's not a new idea he talked about large in Camp elements and uh you know what I want to talk about small encampments and and just the general um you know uh safety of our streets and our businesses and people's homes and uh in that regard and I think we've uh you know we're close come to you know solving our our homeless issue or really scratched the service in that regard and this mayor has had so much time to do that all the money uh that he's needed you know to be able to do that from the city council and we've not seen any results and then you know talked about the panhandling ordinance that we passed years ago and uh taking another run at that but I'm not really seeing anything new from this Administration let's go to public safety and talk about this in specific you mentioned the mayor's plans about guns as we tape this uh here for our Facebook live for New Mexico PBS we just had a woman downtown fire a shot at her quote unquote baby daddy as it was quoted in the paper ended up hitting a vendor in a food truck in the mayor's proposal did you hear anything and that proposal that would have prevented this one woman from firing that shot downtown nothing that would have prevented it I mean I think the idea is maybe that hey when criminals see that we're enforcing uh some of these laws to the full extent maybe that there's a deterrent to that but again why aren't we doing that anyway so I mean honestly that's not a new idea I mean these laws are on the books you commit a crime with a gun and there are strong uh Federal penalties and you know that uh that you should be faced with and and why just downtown I mean these things don't just happen downtown unfortunately that's what happened this morning downtown as a terrible you know tragedy I was downtown this morning just after that but these these kinds of shootings and violent uh you know crimes are happening all over our city and so you know one of the mayor's uh uh so-called concrete actions is to you know enforce you know gun laws downtown well I say what about the kids at West Mesa High School and other parts of our city where there's a lot of crime that's ramping around our city you represent the Northwest sector of the city of course in District Five and just below you just south of you is West Mesa High you just mentioned they had a march on Saturday teachers parents kids administrators I mean it was really pretty much everybody um did you hear a message being told to the mayor of the City by marches like this that happened in your part of town of this past weekend well certainly I think you know people have had enough and uh you know but you know this is what people say over and over and over you know um and I think when you have you know kids that are Marching and and teachers and uh it's a it's just an expression of an incredible amount of frustration we need more police officers uh we need more proactive policing this is a mayor who said that hiring more police officers is Impractical um he said a few months ago that hiring more police officers is old-fashioned that's just irresponsible uh and uh you know we need we need a mayor that's going to take action and actually going to you know work to uh work to clean the city up and make it safer you were very strong on that in that editorial I referenced on the April 23rd in the journal about the mayor's plans to use more civilian uh folks and he was leaned on that pretty hard in our studio interview with Lou davizio uh for New Mexico PBS yeah I'm curious your sense of how that fills a gap or does it or does not fill a gap using civilians in these roles well Albuquerque Community safety or ACS um we we just funded them another five million dollars I mean we increased their budget by almost 50 percent this last year I mean this is while we increased fire AF AFR we increased by 0.8 percent uh we increased uh APD overall by a few percentage of three percent as far as increased funding this year but to ACS uh you know almost you know 50 percent over five million dollars to hire more uh caseworkers uh we have about a hundred case workers that are responding to a fraction of APD calls let's say we have you know 20 percent of caseworkers to to APD officers uh we should see 20 of those calls being taken by ACS we're seeing about a half of a percent uh that they're responding to so this is not this this is not a department that we should be proud of this is not a department that is in any way making an impact on safety in the city and and I'm concerned about it and I'm concerned about you know touting a department that just has absolutely no data to show any kind of results that are making a positive impact on safety in our city interesting you mentioned that the mayor did mention that in his interview with Lou there has to be some concrete evidence at some point to have perceptions turn around and this is the next question to you did you hear anything in the mayor's state of the city address for 2023 that would change that perception about gun violence here or just the feeling of safety overall for folks here in the city look you can you can talk and say that uh you know the city is improving but when you talk to the people in our city they don't feel safe and they see crime that's happening all around them they haven't seen anything change and this is a mayor that's been given a blank check for six years now I'm again unprecedented amounts of money for homelessness for public safety for economic growth and we just have had no results I mean I call that Fraud and Abuse I mean some people might say uh well this is you know having a responsible budget or just putting money in things where look it's Fraud and Abuse if it's not causing any results if it's not resulting in a better quality of life for the people of the city let me ask you just a quick question before we get to the mayor's points are you planning on running for mayor of this cycle uh councilman Lewis I have two more years on a city council term and um I I have no plans right now to run for mayor I want to see the city do well you know I live on the West side Northwest side of Albuquerque a wonderful District uh wonderful people that live in this area of town I'm not going anywhere and I I didn't serve for about four years I served on the council previously and decided to run again just simply because I I want to I want to do what's you know see if we can make the city better and certainly serve my community that I and I'm never leaving you know I mean I've raised my kids here and um and you know do business here work here friends and family and want to see the city do well and so um I enjoy serving on the council and and we're getting some good things done for the west side and certainly a part of our role on the council is to hold this Administration accountable and and to uh and to work on results the mayor made it pretty clear at this point with uh Lou davizio from New Mexico PBS in the interview that he is planning on running for a third term I'm interested in your your thoughts on that well I think people are tired of it I think people gotta you know at some point um you know uh after eight years of um just a stagnant economic growth I mean Public Safety that's I mean this is a dangerous city this mayor has had no effect whatsoever on the quality of life of this city this is an incompetent clown in the mayor's office and who does not deter deserve a third term I find it amazing that he's even talking about uh running for a third term it's unbelievable to me a lot of other cities around the country are uh you know I mean uh getting rid of Mayors with with less incompetence than this one um uh with recalls and and uh you know for the kind of results for a whole lot less than this mayor has uh has done and so I'm yeah it's frustrating to hear you know I mean there's talk about we've got a bill before for the Council on you know changing the the government structure um you know I like the city's form of government a strong mere form of government you just have to have a strong marriage uh you have to have a leader in that mayor's office who's willing to make some changes for it to work and so uh and I and I am open to putting that before the voters because I want to have the kind of city government that's effective uh and that produces uh results and a better quality of life for our city so councilor Lewis you would be a yes vote on the idea of putting this idea in front of the voters this fall I think so right now I think we're having a good discussion on it right now we have uh you know we have to have several more hearings on it so we'll hear from the public even more but ultimately I'm willing to send it to the voters and I'm also willing to send uh before the voters some other uh you know propositions as well I think we need to look at a consolidation again between the the county and the city I think there's some other forms of government that could serve our city very well let me talk I'll touch on that for a quick second you make an interesting point about City we used to call it City County uh unification that term sort of Gone by the boards 15 years ago but has the time come Council alert where folks are really hard to look at duplication at areas of service that are duplicated is are we at a point now we can seriously have this discussion about combining City and County Services I think we are and I think like I said I'm willing to put forward a resolution that will at least initiate another unification discussion and make it more formalized I think we need to have that conversation again right now um I'm not sure if it's something that'll be ready uh um to put before the voters of course this year but you know certainly something that I think that we need to study look at look at Best Practices I think there's some other cities around the country City counties and unification examples and best practices that have certainly produced some great results and like I said there are cities around us that are that are thriving that are doing really well in a pretty tough economy economy overall but you know our city is struggling just a bit of a wild card question here when it comes to city council would you support the idea of City councilors being at large at some point in Albuquerque we have at that point in our city growth where that would be a viable conversation well I like City councilors that represent certain parts of uh the city and I think I do think that that serves the city well you need we have a representative type of a government on the council and so uh for you know the neighborhood that you live in if you can count on somebody you know that's going to bat and fighting for your area of town that knows your area of town I think we're a big enough City that I think that works I think that's important um we're in our current city government is a lot like the federal government you know the council is a legislative body we control the budget uh but again we have a strong mayor the mayor's the executive and the mayor loves to remind us that you know the city council doesn't uh um you know tell the police department what to do or or give direction to the Department's um uh and uh and that and that is true you know uh but uh but also a mayor who's unwilling to to be honest and take the blame when those apartments are run well either so um so you know I do believe we need to have the discussion and whether it be unification or whether it be um you know looking for a different form of city government I think it's important might be just that time to have that conversation if anything that's for sure one more on on city council I apologize here uh Denver has a scheme as I I know you know where I'm going here they have individual counselors representing districts but they do have two at large counselors as well uh on city council is there some benefit to the having something like that in Albuquerque as well some a couple folks who don't represent specific regions but can look at the city's overall needs is that is that viable I'm not opposed to that and I think I do think it's viable I think in the in a weak mayor form of government or a city manager form of government you know the mayor really takes that role he's kind of at large um representative um that that takes a uh you know a slightly different role than that but I think it's similar um and certainly you know I think I'd be open to looking at that kind of structure as well where you have several at large counselors we go back to the mayor here I appreciate your your uh take Zone Council appreciate that a bunch uh you've made it very clear not not just in that editorial back in April but way way back you had a you have a very big concern about the amount of unclassified employees this Administration has brought on in the last uh four years even and even the last two years um are we getting our money's worth for these extra folks in City Hall well you have to look around I mean are we better off because of it I mean are we is the city safer uh you know are people doing better financially right now are there more jobs in the city and every indicator is is no I mean we're not better off and um you know the fact is that this mayor hired over 300 unclassified employees uh you know the Albuquerque Journal reported that uh you know do after investigations that an investigation from the Inspector General uh that uh I mean about half of those had no job descriptions this is not how a business works you know I mean another another part of a strong mayor how a strong mayor government works is you have to have a mayor who understands how business Works uh who's actually led a you know companies um uh that that hire people and know that you don't hire people without job descriptions and that are not helping affect the bottom line and the bottom line of the City of Albuquerque is making sure people get a good return on their tax dollar and I don't think that's happening right now I'll tell you fiscal responsibility in this city is gone I mean it used to be in even in large you know cities like Albuquerque in large liberal cities around America there still was a sense of there is a sense of some fiscal responsibility and I could tell you that's gone at City Hall right now um and we need it you know we need some fiscal Hawks in the city and we need to be able to know that you know the dollars that we are spending um that they're producing results uh and so very concerned about the amount of unclassified just political hires that this mayor has done over the last few years that have been well documented a couple asked questions here the speech also included some produced videos throughout the address highlighting people who work for the city as well as others some might argue that had almost like a campaign feel to it was that an appropriate use of money I mean or City money how did that hit your gut when you saw that well I mean that's what this mayor does I mean it's I don't think he's ever stopped campaigning and already talking about running for a third term look I just I think people just want a mayor that's going to produce results um you know we've had Mayors in the past that um you know like them or not they produce results I mean they uh they weren't all talk and so that's what's frustrating about some of those presentations I like the stories I love stories about you know wonderful people in the city who are doing wonderful things but the uh the bottom line is that the city government's role in that is an absolute failure I mean I don't think people in the city are going to say that hey because of the city government the role that it plays in my life it's made my life better uh no I think they would say exactly the opposite so you know certainly concerned about that I'm concerned about uh any kind of uh you know a state of the city where you use that to campaign uh this is a mayor who uh um you know had the city paid a hundred thousand dollars to write a book about them um you know pages and pages of pictures of him and his family you know a chat that describes how he had to tuck his kids in bed at night and explain to them you know why they had to wear masks and the tough time that they were having you know the book didn't mention all the businesses in the city that were shutting down at the time and the families that had to tuck their kids in bed at night and had to explain to those kids why their why their business was shutting down because of coven because of the restrictions and because of the uh the powers that I think a lot of overreaching powers that the mayor had during that time but again what an absolute fraud and waste of money on a book that was just nothing but a political um you know political media in that regard and so um you know look the State of the Union a speech is you know not much different than that book finally last question for you counselor Lewis where are we headed in the city as far as you're concerned are we getting to a better place eventually are we going to sink even lower at some point in your view what's your point of view about where we're going here in Albuquerque I think we will when the when when truly the people of the city are saying we've had enough I mean we've had enough with politicians and leaders that we've elected that you know do one thing they'll say one thing and do another and um you know I think the more and more people in the city demand um uh that we enforce our laws uh you know demand that we use our taxpayer dollars you know to to produce results um uh when more people get involved that uh that don't believe that the government is the solution to everything in our lives but believe that um you know the that it's you and me it's people like you and me I want to see the people in the city prosper and Thrive it's disappointing to see a lot of policies in this city that take those opportunities away I mean I think short-term rentals is a is a good example of that you know there are people in the city that maybe inherit to the piece of property from a grandmother or and they have an opportunity to be able to maybe Airbnb that property and get ahead be able to make some extra income maybe some of them rise out of poverty but to be able to improve their financial situation and that's an example of when we put restrictions on that and try to say uh you know we'd almost eliminate the ability to do that is what you know what when this proposal is that we're faced with right now um you're just putting your thumb on people and keeping them from having the ability to prosper and there are a lot of policies like that in the city uh from you know people that have that that the city is elected and has championed those kinds of laws and so I think our elections are going to need to change we're going to need some good people that are going to create some better policy in the city uh and the kind of leaders like in the mayor's office that are that understand uh what what makes a thriving City that that is growing and prospering you know you know there's there's not a city in the world that's ever taxed itself into prosperity and this never has never happened we're not taxed any City into prosperity and nobody's not ever create a better quality of life when a government has taken more money from you it just hasn't happened and yet this is a city over recent years who who continues the the budget continues to grow more tax dollars continue to come out of your pocket and wasted in the city government um with with very little results with no results and so uh those things have to change but look I'm I'm hopeful about our country I'm hopeful about our city I love Albuquerque I love living here and despite you know the challenges that I see you know I do believe that we do have a great future ahead of us if the people in the city get involved councilman Dan Lewis thank you so much for your time we really appreciate it thank you