Albuquerque Community Centers Severely Underfunded

While Mayor Martin Chavez claims a dedication to Albuquerque's Youth, the city's community centers remain at minimum operating level, a survey reveals. The survey, conducted of directors of 12 of the city's centers, highlights the centers' inability to carry out programs mandated to them by the city.

The survey is part of a study on community centers and the city budget demonstrating the need for community members to participate in the budget process. The full study, Albuquerque's Community Centers: The Need for Participatory Budgeting, will be available soon on this site.

The survey reveals directors often manage more than one center, and may serve as activities coordinators and provide janitorial servieces. Center staff say they receive no overtime, and due to budget cuts have had to cut staff - sometimes from 15 to 4. Many centers cannot afford basic supplies. In some cases, programs survive on salvaged materials donated by local businesses, community members or the directors of the centers themselves. Community Centers serve 2.5 percent of the city's youth and in most cases do not offer programs for ages 14 and up.

While APD receives 22% of the budget (large red area - police), Family Services (small blue area- family services) receives only 4%. Of this small portion, $1.2 million goes to the gang unit. (See Family Services Graph below - represents small blue area on larger graph)

"The city must be held accountable in its budget process"

Young people at SWOP have criticized th use of Familiy Services monies for the gang unit, a primarily punitive program of APD many feel is merely a mechanism for racial profiling. The report recommends the city begin a process which would include community members in deciding how Albuquerque's budget would be spent. In addition, Albuquerque should get rid of the gang unit and give that money allocated to family services to Community Centers. This would represent a 36% increase in Center funding.