[1] Assessor Lara files ethics complaint against treasurer – The Bernalillo County Assessor has filed an ethics complaint, accusing the county treasurer, Tim Eichenberg, of personally benefitting from changes he made to property tax assessments. The complaint stems from their debate regarding how short-term rentals should be classified. Assessor Damian Lara argues that under state law, rentals need to be reclassified from residential to commercial. This led to Lara reclassifying more than 1,000 properties, raising the taxes for the owners. According to Lara, eight property owners protested in front of an independent board, using the company NM Property Tax to help. Eichenberg is listed as one of the owners of the company, but he says he sold the company in 2024.
[2] Portion of Lindy’s Diner collapses in downtown Albuquerque – Less than a week after structural problems led the city to close down a historic downtown diner, those warnings proved well-founded with part of that diner collapsing. The north-east wall of Lindy’s Diner right along Fifth Street and Central, collapsed with hundreds of bricks crumbling down into the sidewalk, in the very section the city fenced-off. The Bliss Building is a Route 66 fixture dating back to 1906; and a diner has been running out of the bottom floor since the 1930’s.
[3] Fire danger continues until rain moves in late this week – Breezy winds will keep the fire danger elevated through the middle of this week before a storm system brings widespread rain chances and cooler air late this week. Another round of breezy westerly winds develops Tuesday, bringing another threat of critical fire danger to eastern parts of the state. A Pacific front and a backdoor cold front will move through New Mexico Tuesday night, bringing slightly cooler temperatures Wednesday afternoon…