ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A check on the Albuquerque mayor's power from voters came Tuesday night when changes to the city charter passed by a wide margin. The amendments to the charter give the Albuquerque City Council more say in two big areas: who has a say in how disputes between the City Council and the Mayor's Office are settled, and who can fire the police and fire chiefs. Story continues below Election: New Mexico Election Results Election: Trump wins the White House in political comeback Community: New Mexico Strange: Prominent Ghost Stories in Albuquerque's Old Town Albuquerque City Council President Dan Lewis said the changes signal that voters want a more accountable local government: “Tonight, the voters approved two important Charter Amendments that strengthen and clarify our City Charter to improve the functioning of our local government. These changes reflect the community’s understanding of the importance of clear separation of powers and a well-defined process for appointing and removing senior administration officials, both essential for the efficient operation of our city. I trusted our residents to decide on these issues, which is why I sponsored these proposals to give them the opportunity to weigh in. The voters' support demonstrates their commitment to a well-functioning, accountable local government. Passing these amendments to our charter shows an overwhelming desire for a more accountable Mayor and Police Chief.” Dan Lewis, Albuquerque City Council President However, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller says voters may not have had a clear picture of what they were voting on: “Transparency is a cornerstone of our democracy, and we’ve heard concerns that the language on the ballot was too vague," Keller said in a statement. "The language on the ballot did not explain the nuances of the Charter amendments and may have been unclear. These amendments may have to be reviewed by the courts. Councilors opted against adding funding for voter education that would have helped inform the community about these two proposals." Staci Drangmeister, Director of Communications and Marketing for the Mayor's Office The first charter amendment deals with the committee that reviews separation of power disagreements between the mayor and city council. The change puts a two-month timeline on both the mayor and the council for replacing members of that committee. If not replaced in time, the other body can appoint the new member of the three-person committee. The second charter amendment gives the city council the ability to fire the police or fire chief with seven of the nine councilors votes—a power they did not have before. City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn voted against these measures and says it wasn't handled properly: "These were fast-tracked, they were introduced and then voted on very quickly, they did not go to committee. We had the required public hearings for these started as late as 1:20 in the morning. This is not the appropriate way to vet you know, changes to our city charter." KRQE News 13 reached out to all members of the City Council and the Mayor's Office but were unable to get anyone else to speak on these changes Wednesday. The separation of powers charter amendment takes effect on New Year's Day but it will be longer before the city council gets the new ability to fire the police or fire chief—that takes effect in January 2026. A third proposed charter amendment that could have changed the election process for mayoral and city council elections never made it onto the ballot; that's because the mayor vetoed that proposal, and councilors did not have enough votes to override it.