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Mayor-elect Richard Berry’s choice for Albuquerque’s next Chief Administrative Officer won’t see smooth sailing when he comes before the City Council in early December for confirmation, if current positions among councilors hold.
Berry, who is a Republican, tapped a Democrat for the job—local attorney David Campbell, who has a long history with Albuquerque city politics. Divisions among councilors may mean the confirmation of Campbell rests with progressive Democrats.
Campbell was an assistant to Mayor Harry Kinney from 1981 to 1983, and city attorney from 1989 to 1993. He also holds a masters degree in public administration, and was a member of two separate groups convened to review and make recommendations to improve the city’s charter—one just last year.
But he’s a private attorney who has worked on a number of land use cases against the city over the past decade, and many say he has close ties to the building and real estate industries. That has some councilors expressing concern, and a few saying outright they won’t vote for him.
Councilor Brad Winter and Councilor-elect Dan Lewis, both Republicans, told the Independent that they won’t support the nomination.
“Campbell has been coming before the council for years representing clients against the city and he’s a registered lobbyist for NAIOP [a commerical real estate association] and the homebuilders,” Winter said. “It’s a conflict of interest, I just don’t think it’s a good now for him to try to be on the other side and will not be supporting his nomination.”
Lewis—who will be new to the Council when Campbell comes up for confirmation—said his opposition was “nothing against David Campbell, it’s just an opportunity for the city to have a clean slate” given Campbell’s long history litigating cases for and against the city. Lewis said Campbell is an “ethical, good man,” but that he’s asked the mayor-elect to make a different choice.
On the other hand, Councilors Trudy Jones, a Republican, and Ken Sanchez, a Democrat, both expressed strong support for Campbell. Both Jones and Sanchez, it should be pointed out, are Realtors.
Jones and Sanchez both said the new mayor should be able to choose his own team, and they said the opposition to Campbell didn’t send a good message.
“I was absolutely floored,” said Jones. “He’s a perfect nomination, a good man, very honest, who knows the city inside and out. This opposition makes you wonder about that claim for years that the problem between the mayor and the council is due to the mayor. This is an interesting statement that is being made.”
Sanchez said Campbell’s private legal work on behalf of clients against the city shouldn’t be a problem.
“Everyone has the right to representation when they come before the council, and I think he can set that aside,” he said.
Sanchez also agreed with Jones that it would be a “terrible way” to start a relationship with the new mayor.
In order to be confirmed, Campbell needs to garner five out of nine votes. With four councilors evenly divided on either side, that means he needs to get three more from a pool of two Republicans and three Democrats.
Councilor Don Harris, a Republican, seems to lean his way, although he said the confirmation process shouldn’t be a rubber stamp.
“My default position is to allow the mayor the freedom to put his team together, but the confirmation process is in the charter for a reason, it’s not a rubber stamp,” he said. “I have an open mind at this point.”
Councilor-elect Michael Cook, a Republican, couldn’t be reached for comment.
If both Cook and Harris joined with Jones and Sanchez in confirming Campbell, and Lewis and Winter remained steadfast in their opposition, that leaves the appointment in the hands of one of the three acknowledged progressive Democrats on the Council–Rey Garduno, Isaac Benton, and Debbie O’Malley.
Expressing concern, but saying they’re keeping an open mind were Councilors Garduño and Benton.
Garduno said he’s met with Campbell and had a “very cordial yet frank discussion” on city issues. He’s also met with Berry, he said, and is committed to working with the mayor-elect to make sure Albuquerque is “a city that neglects no one.”
Garduno’s primary concern about the nomination relates to land use practices.
“My intention is to satisfy concerns I have about Land Use as a policy issue and how this City should plan its growth,” Garduno said. “The strategy that is in place was a very deliberative process that spoke to the sustainability of this region; it is incumbent upon us as elected officials that that progress not be dismantled by a mere change of Administrative leadership.”
Benton voiced similar concerns while saying he’s received a lot of phone calls in support of Campbell’s nomination.
“I’ve been bombarded with phone calls in support of Campbell, mostly from surprising quarters,” Benton said. “I’m open-minded about it.”
“A concern is his strong ties to the sprawl development industry. Key to my support would be overcoming that–a commitment to step away from that,” Benton concluded.
Councilor O’Malley couldn’t be reached.
Campbell will come before the Council for confirmation in early December, so there is a lot of time yet for Councilors to make their final decision.
