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Economic development took center stage at a mayoral candidate forum Monday afternoon.
Incumbent Richard Berry, Republican challenger Paul Heh and Democratic challenger Pete Dinelli discussed how they would improve Albuquerque’s economy if elected at a forum organized by the NAIOP Commercial Real Estate Development Association at the Albuquerque Marriott.
Candidates presented different views about business partnerships among public sectors and private companies.
Berry said “public-private partnerships” are beneficial for the city. He said these partnerships make it easier for officials to balance Albuquerque’s scarce resources.
“The private sector simply does not have the resources,” he said. “So if we team up smart public sector business with private sector business and find a great partnership to work, it makes a lot of sense.”
Public-partner partnerships would especially benefit the city’s recycling industries, Berry said. He said at the moment, only 5 percent of Albuquerque’s solid waste is recycled by the city, and through public-private partnerships, the number could increase to 25 percent.
Dinelli echoed Berry’s view. Dinelli said ENERGIZE ABQ, the economic development plan for the city that he released in late July, will focus on attracting major businesses into the state for more public-private partnerships.
“These paartnerships are pretty much a part of my economic development plan of energizing Albuquerque,” he said. “I believe that the city of Albuquerque needs to target major industries in manufacturing and shipping and attract new jobs in the area.”
Through ENERGIZE ABQ, Dinelli said he would allot $1.5 billion for infrastructure projects, such as bridges and roads, as well as a business hub centered around the Albuquerque International Sunport. He said his plan would also focus on bringing in health care companies into Albuquerque, and would create 15,000 to 20,000 “real jobs, not minimum wage jobs.”
On the other hand, Heh emphasized the importance of education in the city.
“One of my ideas is to fix the educational system in Albuquerque,” he said. “Many industries are not going to come here unless we get an educated workforce.”
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Heh said he plans to develop the Railyard area Downtown into a manufacturing and educational hub that would promote more jobs and economic and business growth.
“Albuquerque is the hub of New Mexico,” he said. “Without the hub, the state can’t survive. I don’t want, to hear ‘It’s the Republicans’ fault.’ I don’t want to hear ‘It’s the Democrats’ fault.’ I want to hear what you are going to do to fix the hub of New Mexico.”
In the forum, the challengers repeatedly attacked the incumbent in their responses.
The mayor’s words were “bullshit,” Heh said. He said Berry did not improve the city’s economy during his four-year term.
“We lost more jobs in Albuquerque last year than any other place in the United States,” he said. “Forbes magazine reported that if you want to start a home or start a business, don’t do it in Albuquerque.”
Heh also blamed the mayor for the city’s public safety and drug problems, as well as with its “broken educational system.”
Berry is also disconnected with Albuquerque residents, Heh said.
“Mr. Berry was more of the ‘blah, blah, blah, blah’ — more saying, more saying, more saying,” Heh said. “Why don’t you get on the street, Mr. Berry? Why don’t you, Mr. Berry, try to live on minimum wage?”
Like Heh, Dinelli said the biggest issue in the city at the moment is “irresponsible leadership.”
Dinelli said Berry has not been using the city’s money efficiently. He said Albuquerque: The Plan, Berry’s economic development plan for the city, was a failure.
“What we have is a Republican mayor who wants to waste money in white water rafting … as well as building baseball fields,” he said. “He says Albuquerque: The Plan is a game-changer; it’s not. We need to use our tax dollars responsibly.”
The mayor has not been addressing Albuquerque’s public safety issues either, Dinelli said.
“Albuquerque has a reputation of being a violent city,” he said. “There’s no company that’s going to want to come to Albuquerque with its reputation as a violent city.”
But Berry said his administration handled the city’s issues effectively. He said that two years before he took office, the city lost 22,000 jobs and faced a $90 million budget shortfall.
Berry said he dealt with these problems without imposing tax increases, layoffs and service cuts. He said his administration added 7,000 jobs last year, and that crime rates in the city has been going down steadily since he took office.
“This city is on the right track,” he said. “We’re moving in the right direction. We’re taking steady and responsible leadership. We’re taking it to city hall, and we’re making a difference. We have a bright future.”
“Diversification of the economy” is the biggest issue the city is facing, Berry said. He said he will continue to work with institutions such as Albuquerque Public Schools and Central New Mexico Community College to improve the economy if re-elected.
“We got so many great partners in the community,” he said. “We will protect that. But we also want to make sure to grow our private sector. That’s where we need to be in the following years.”
Dinelli, who has been urging Berry for months to participate in public debates, said he is satisfied to see the incumbent participate in the forum. He said his opponents did “fine.”
“I’m not surprised that he showed up,” he said. “This is his group of people that he has known for years. He’s very one-sided, but that’s fine. I’m just glad we’re talking the issues out.”
But Heh said he hopes that people will appreciate him as a legitimate third candidate in the mayoral race.
“I answered the questions that needed to be answered,” he said. “I wish it would have been another hour with more questions because I think the community needs to know that … it’s time to stop electing politicians’ politicians and start a change.”
Berry said he feels confident about his performance in the forum.
“This is American democracy at work,” he said. “I love sitting down and talking about issues. I love talking to people that are my boss—the taxpayers—about what we’re doing and why. I had a good time today.”
