CITY of ALBUQUERQUE
TWENTY SIXTH COUNCIL
COUNCIL BILL NO. O-24-50 ENACTMENT NO. ________________________
SPONSORED BY: Louie Sanchez
ORDINANCE title
Amending ROA 1994, Section 2-1-10 To Require Written Responses To Questions Posed During The “Administration Question And Answer Period” Of City Council Meetings (Sanchez)
body
AMENDING ROA 1994, SECTION 2-1-10 TO REQUIRE WRITTEN RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS POSED DURING THE “ADMINISTRATION QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD” OF CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS.
WHEREAS, The “Administration Question and Answer Period” during meetings of the City Council serves many important functions, including allowing the Council to: gather information, conduct oversight, identify and address issues, and develop policies that address city needs; and
WHEREAS, The Administration Question and Answer Period can also facilitate dialogue between the Council and the Administration and can help build trust and ensure transparency and accountability in governance; and
WHEREAS, There are times when the Administration is unable to provide answers to Council questions during the Council meeting for various reasons; and
WHEREAS, To ensure transparency as well as clarity and precision, written responses to Council questions should be provided by the Administration; and
WHEREAS, Making questions and answers available to the public online will allow constituents to better understand the workings of their government.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL, THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE:
SECTION 1. ROA 1994, Section 2-1-10 is hereby amended as follows:
§ 2-1-10 MAYOR.
(A) The Mayor, or the Mayor's representative, shall be present at the hearings on the Mayor's proposed budget to answer questions about the budget. The City Attorney, or the City Attorney’s designated representative, shall be present at all meetings of the City Council.
(B) Administration Question and Answer Period. The Mayor, or the Mayor’s representative, shall respond to all questions asked by City Councilors during the “Administration Question and Answer Period” during meetings of the City Council.
(1) For questions submitted to the Administration at least one business day prior to the City Council meeting, verbal answers shall be provided during the City Council meeting. If a verbal answer to a pre-submitted question is not provided during the City Council meeting, the Administration shall provide a written response that shall be due to the Council one (1) business day following the meeting at which the question is asked.
(2) For all other questions, including new questions asked during a City Council meeting, if verbal answers are not provided during the meeting, the Administration shall provide written responses that shall be due to the Council 7 business days following the meeting at which the questions are asked.
(3) The Council Services Department shall make all questions and answers accessible to the public on the City Council website.
(4) The written responses outlined in this ordinance are only required when a Councilor asks a question that has a factual, objective answer, such as a request for tangible information and/or data. Written responses are not required when a Councilor asks a question that has only a subjective, philosophical, or opinion-based answer.
SECTION 2. SEVERABILITY. If any section, paragraph, sentence, clause, word or phrase of this Ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or unenforceable by any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions of this Ordinance. The Council hereby declares that it would have passed this Ordinance and each section, paragraph, sentence, clause, word or phrase thereof irrespective of any provision being declared unconstitutional or otherwise invalid.
SECTION 3. COMPILATION. SECTION 1 of this Ordinance amends, is incorporated in, and is to be complied as part of the Revised Ordinances of Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1994.
SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Ordinance takes effect five days after publication by title and general summary.
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