Bernalillo County Ties Economic Incentives to Local Hiring and Purchasing

Street Food Institute leader backs new county plan to boost community investment

Apr. 13, 2026 at 10:24pm

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An abstract illustration composed of overlapping triangles and rectangles in shades of blue, green, and red, conveying the idea of an economic development framework that prioritizes local investment.A new Bernalillo County economic development plan aims to strengthen the local economy by tying tax incentives to corporate commitments around hiring, purchasing, and community investment.Albuquerque Today

Tina Garcia-Shams, the executive director of the Street Food Institute in Albuquerque's Barelas neighborhood, is supporting a new Bernalillo County economic development plan that will tie tax incentives for corporations to local hiring, purchasing from New Mexico businesses, and community investment. The plan, which will be voted on by the county commission this Tuesday, aims to ensure that public money used to attract or retain businesses results in tangible benefits for the local community.

Why it matters

As a nonprofit that has helped dozens of food entrepreneurs start businesses in Albuquerque, the Street Food Institute has seen firsthand how the local economy impacts small operators. The new county plan, which was developed over a year of community input, is designed to strengthen the local economy by incentivizing large corporations to invest in the Bernalillo County workforce and buy from local suppliers, including minority- and women-owned enterprises.

The details

The new economic development framework passed by the Bernalillo County Commission in February will tie the size of a company's tax incentives to specific commitments around local hiring, purchasing from New Mexico businesses, environmental responsibility, and community investment. The more a company pledges to support the local economy, the greater the tax incentives they will receive. The plan also includes a Community Benefits Fund that will direct a portion of the tax savings towards workforce development, small business support, and other community priorities.

  • The Bernalillo County Commission will vote on the final economic development plan this Tuesday, April 18, 2026.
  • The county spent a full year gathering community input and developing the new framework.

The players

Tina Garcia-Shams

The executive director of the Street Food Institute, a nonprofit in Albuquerque's Barelas neighborhood that helps food entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses.

Bernalillo County Commission

The governing body of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, which developed and will vote on the new economic development plan.

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What they’re saying

“Economic development is important and bringing businesses and jobs to Bernalillo County is a goal worth working toward. The commissioners who built this framework clearly believe that too. What this resolution does is make sure that when the county invests public money to attract or retain a company, the community gets something real back for it.”

— Tina Garcia-Shams, Executive Director, Street Food Institute

What’s next

The Bernalillo County Commission will vote on the final economic development plan this Tuesday, April 18, 2026. If approved, the county manager will then develop a formal strategy for implementing the new framework.

The takeaway

This new economic development plan represents a shift towards a more equitable and community-focused approach to attracting and retaining businesses in Bernalillo County. By tying tax incentives to local hiring, purchasing, and investment, the county aims to ensure that public money used for economic development directly benefits the local workforce and small businesses.