The Office of the City Clerk in Albuquerque has reported that the backlog of Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) requests has dropped below 1,000 for the first time since June 2023. This milestone was achieved during Fiscal Year 2025, as the city also managed to close more than 65 percent of all requests within 20 days.
“In FY 2025, we’ve proved that staying ahead of public records requests is possible, even as they reach record levels,” said City Clerk Ethan Watson. “By closing most requests within 20 days, we’re giving residents faster access to information while protecting sensitive details that deserve care. Bringing the backlog below 1,000 is real progress, and we’ll keep working to improve both our processes and the system we operate in.”
City officials attribute these improvements to a comprehensive overhaul of records management procedures. The changes include implementing a triage process that sorts new requests by complexity, expanding digitization efforts for records, and increasing staff numbers to address higher demand. These measures have allowed straightforward requests to be resolved quickly while separating them from more complex cases.
During FY 2025, Albuquerque received over 15,000 IPRA requests—a figure representing a 13 percent increase compared to FY 2024. Despite this rise in volume, city staff closed 53 percent of all requests within just 15 days.
The Office of the City Clerk oversees preservation and maintenance of public records in Albuquerque and manages a public finance program according to federal, state, and local laws.
