RGF president weighs in to support override of Mayor’s veto on ABQ Air Board

Update, last night City Council DID override Keller’s veto of needed reforms to the local “clean air board.”

At tonight’s City of Albuquerque Council meeting a vote will be held on whether to override Mayor Keller’s veto of needed reforms put forth by Councilor Dan Lewis of the local Air Quality Board. RGF president Paul Gessing sent the following note to the Council (use the link, it took 5 minutes).

Lewis’s efforts gained a majority of City Council’s support, but was vetoed by the Mayor which requires 6 votes to override. Gessing’s note to Council is below. You can read about Lewis’s effort here. 

I urge you to override Mayor Keller’s vetoes of: R-23-176 and O-23-88. It is time for the Air Board to be accountable and experts in their field. Their actions should also be transparent to public scrutiny.

Allowing appointed boards to make important and controversial policy decisions about key environmental and economic policy issues is not “democratic.” It is also not sound government. I urge you to override Keller’s veto.