Albuquerque’s 311 call center will eliminate Sunday operations and extend weekday service hours beginning July 1 as city officials adjust to budget concerns.
During a news conference, officials said the center will stop taking calls on Sundays but add two hours to weekday schedules. City officials expect the change to cut costs while ensuring staff are available during the busiest times of the week. They said the revised hours will provide residents with longer weekday access to services and improve efficiency without reducing overall support.
311 Call Center Sunday Service Ends Amid Budget Pressures
Budget pressures have prompted city officials to adjust staffing levels and operations at Albuquerque’s 311 call center. Officials said they designed the new schedule to cut costs while ensuring staff are available during peak call times. The 311 system allows residents to request city services such as reporting potholes, graffiti, abandoned vehicles, and code enforcement issues.
Residents, however, can continue to submit requests online at any time, even though phone service will no longer be available on Sundays. Officials said the call volume is lower on Sundays, making it more prudent to shift resources to weekdays. The change, they said, should improve response times and customer service during peak hours.
Leaders said each department is working to keep costs down while maintaining funding for basic public services. The city’s revised 311 schedule is part of that effort.
Albuquerque officials are reviewing spending priorities and making operational changes across city departments amid budget challenges as the city’s population continues to grow.
City Councilor Grout: Signal of Budget Cuts?
However, Councilor Renee Grout expressed her concern that eliminating Sunday service of the city’s 311 call center may signal budget cuts to public services. She questioned whether budget pressures were the real reason for the revised schedule.
“We’re at the end of the budget year, and they were over budget,” Grout said. “They repeatedly have told us they will come in on budget for fiscal year 26, and by law they’re required to do that. I am afraid they are cutting services because they’re scraping at the bottom of the barrel, and these are some of the services we’re losing.”
Grout expressed her disappointment with the decision. But she acknowledged the city does not need approval from councilors to adjust Albuquerque’s 311 call center operations.