Local News

Floyd Duran, the top federal housing official in New Mexico, has a lot of say-so over Las Vegas’ housing authority.

But the City Council as a body hasn’t heard from the Housing and Urban Development Department official directly. Council members often find about what he says second- or third-hand. And he won’t take questions from the media, referring inquiries to a HUD public relations official in Texas.

Starting today, Las Vegas residents will have a new ambulance provider, with assurances in its contract for better service.

The City Council this week approved a contract with Albuquerque-based Superior Ambulance, replacing the longtime local provider, Santa Fe-based Rocky Mountain EMS.

In May, the council selected Superior based on a committee’s recommendation, but the city and Superior still had to negotiate a contract.

A plea agreement three months ago required that convicted sex offender Clifford Gutierrez move to Bernalillo or Sandoval counties.

Last week, however, a judge gave the state Corrections Department the power to place the 34-year-old anywhere in the state. That includes Mora, where Gutierrez committed most of his sex crimes, although those involved say that’s unlikely to happen.

These days, Gutierrez lives in the Camp Luna neighborhood just north of Las Vegas. He is registered as a sex offender at an address in that area.

Some City Council members on Wednesday acknowledged they had problems with the city’s proposed budget, but they unanimously approved the document to meet a state deadline.

In so doing, they requested a work session within the next month to discuss their issues with the budget for this fiscal year, which began July 1.

Just last week, a council majority rejected a first draft of the proposed budget because its drafters had revised the revenue without changing the cash balances and expenses.