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Council votes down renter's rights law

Gillian Barkhurst
cc0121

The City Council has voted down an ordinance that would codify a state renter鈥檚 rights law.

The ordinance failed on a vote of 5-4.

Councilors Dan Lewis, Dan Champine and Brook Bassan called the law 鈥渄uplicative鈥 and said that the state should be responsible for enforcement of its law rather than the city.

鈥淲e don't have the resources to be able to assist something that the state department should be handling,鈥 Bassan said.

Council President Klarissa Pe帽a joined with those councilors to strike down the proposed law, saying "we aren't ready for primetime yet."

Councilor Ren茅e Grout also voted no on the bill, although she offered no explanation.

Despite councilors concerns, Chief Administrative Officer Samantha Sengel said that Code Enforcement was capable of enforcing such an ordinance, although intense safety concerns would come first.

Meanwhile, Councilor Stephanie Tellez argued that the city ordinance was the most efficient way to enforce the law, rather than asking the New Mexico Attorney General's to create an enforcement mechanism that already exists within the City.

Councilor Nichole Rogers, who proposed the bill, said that enacting the ordinance was not just good government, but a moral obligation.

"We need to act now," Rogers said.