When the fawning tributes subside in the next few weeks, newly-elected Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance will face an important question: will she restore the traditional executive powers of Anchorage mayor, or will she permit the Anchorage Assembly to consolidate its power grab and remain a mayoral figurehead?
This is no abstract proposition. The City of Anchorage and Greater Anchorage Area Borough unified into the Municipality of Anchorage in 1975 because both communities wanted a “strong mayor” type of government. Fifteen years later, the voters of Anchorage doubled-down on the “strong mayor” by awarding Anchorage mayors line-item veto power over Assembly appropriations. This led to the veto-happy Tom Fink era of the early 1990s, and line-item vetoes have remained one of the checks and balances in municipal government ever since.
Yet no one paying attention to Anchorage politics would observe that Mayor Dave Bronson was a “strong mayor” who overpowered the Anchorage Assembly like Tom Fink. And there is a reason for that.
Like Trump promising to “build the wall” in 2016, Dunleavy promising to “repeal SB91”in 2018, or even FDR promising to “put Americans back to work” in 1932, Mayor Dave Bronson entered office in 2021 with a single, easily-digested policy goal – build a homeless shelter or navigation center with a sprung structure. The fact that Bronson’s plan had backing from political moderates like John Weddleton, as well as right wing gurus like Ric Davidge, gave the plan broad appeal – as did the fact that it was cheap, kept private land on the tax rolls, and would give Bronson a tangible sign of his leadership at the end of three years.
The politically astute leftists on the Assembly especially recognized this last point. Should Bronson succeed in this simple goal of erecting his “tent,” the electorate would surely also notice. Worse, it might reduce the homeless problem. Worst, it would be a success where the leftist Assembly had spectacularly failed, as their attempted acquisition of four buildings for the homeless during the COVID year of 2020 not only bellyflopped, but inspired the Save Anchorage grassroots movement which elected Bronson to power.
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Mayor LaFrance, Assembly Chair Christopher Constant, and the rest of the leftist bloc rightly reasoned: If Bronson builds his “tent,” his reelection is all-but-assured, and his statewide political stock will soar. Their solution: appear to acquiesce, use their supermajority to delay Bronson’s plan long enough to concoct reasons why it won’t work, and then drive a truck through municipal code to prevent any unilateral “strong mayor”-type actions. An added bonus might be to capitalize on the fallout when frustrated conservative appointees begin to backbite each other.
Mission accomplished.
But now Mayor LaFrance is left with that truck-sized hole in municipal code. Such as:
— AO 2021-33(S) gave the Assembly “clawback” powers over emergency contracts, a measure which was opposed by the Austin Quinn-Davidson administration during its lame-duck term.
— AO 2022-105 required executive branch legal settlements to be approved by the Assembly.
— Emergency Ordinance 2023-2, and later AO 2023-23(S), placed the entire executive branch under “austerity measures” for discretionary spending.
— AO 2023-133 expanded the Assembly’s subpoena powers.
— AO 2024-52 purported to require the executive branch to research, disseminate, and advocate the Assembly’s policy objectives regarding the Eklutna Hydropower project.
Recall that, as an Assembly member, LaFrance not only led these charges to neuter the Bronson administration, but publicly framed her actions as necessary because “The mayor’s administration is on fire. It’s burning.”
Will Mayor LaFrance use the same argument now that it is her administration – not Bronson’s – that is in power? Put another way: if LaFrance started the fire, is it reasonable to presume that she will put it out?
Most important: are the people of Anchorage aware of the drastic changes of the past three years? Will they ever return to a “strong mayor” form of government?
The views expressed here are those of the author.
The author is a former employee of the Municipality of Anchorage, writing under the pen name, Poplicola.
18 Comments
Anchorage is a sinking ship.
Who cares!!!!! Anchorage has become a dumpster fire. As far as dunleavy’s promises, he’s a joke hoping that president Trump hasn’t noticed!
Friend of Humanity and Dave, et al,
Perhaps you do not live in Anchorage. I do. And I believe it is worth knowing what the Anchorage Assembly has done over the last three years to fundamentally change our local government. With this knowledge we can figure out, going forward, how to change things for the better. If we all throw our hands up and say, “it’s over,” then it is. Then, there truly is no hope.
But if we scan the battlefield and identify key areas that can and should be be re-taken, we can make a plan and do our level best to restore the integrity and proper functioning of our local government institutions.
In the same way that Trump’s first term reminded us what America can be and what She’s capable of at home and abroad, Bronson’s term gave me hope that there are men a women who live in the city who are willing to make personal sacrifices to ensure that our local government operates in the best interests of the people.
The list of incredible AO’s included in this piece provide us with a record of the drastic changes made by the Assembly, most of which I had entirely forgotten. Looking at them in their entirety is a real eye-opener. I sincerely hope concerned citizens will keep these in mind going forward, with the intention of righting the ship, especially if She appears to be sinking.
I refuse to visit Anchorage, unless I really need something, which I can’t get in the Valley.
Concerned Citizen, Anchorage is a sinking ship. There are people with baling buckets working fast and hard, but Anchorage needs more people to do so. I know that there are smart, organized, legally-minded people working in the background to help undo what the evil Anchorage Assembly has done. Anchorage needs more people to step up to the plate. Anchorage needs people from all walks of life and varying shifts to help with the work loads. Mat-Su Borough is not far behind Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau if Mat-Su People don’t get more involved. This is like pulling teeth to get people involved. The attempted assassination hit on President Trump has woke people up. Now, we need to see more people taking action and getting involved. Dr. Frank doesn’t make trips to Alaska just for the fun of it. He is trying to get people to take action. Hear this Anchorage, Mat-Su Borough, Fairbanks, Juneau, Homer, Kenai/Soldotna, Bethel and all other places – GET INVOLVED! Find a Dr. Frank event to attend or watch his videos to see what you need to do to get involved.
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Concerned Citizen, Anchorage is a sinking ship. There are people with baling buckets working fast and hard, but Anchorage needs more people to do so. I know that there are smart, organized, legally-minded people working in the background to help undo what the evil Anchorage Assembly has done. Anchorage needs more people to step up to the plate. Anchorage needs people from all walks of life and varying shifts to help with the work loads. Mat-Su Borough is not far behind Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau if Mat-Su People don’t get more involved. This is like pulling teeth to get people involved. The attempted assassination hit on President Trump has woke people up. Now, we need to see more people taking action and getting involved. Dr. Frank doesn’t make trips to Alaska just for the fun of it. He is trying to get people to take action. Hear this Anchorage, Mat-Su Borough, Fairbanks, Juneau, Homer, Kenai/Soldotna, Bethel and all other places – GET INVOLVED! Find a Dr. Frank event to attend or watch his videos to see what you need to do to get involved.
This is a well-reasoned analysis of the obstinate Regressive Left’s movement to neuter the mayor’s office. While missed in this article, one GIANT cause has been a large increase in Dark Money from the Left Coast. But why the recent & sudden interest in money pumped in by the Regressive Liberals? The Left Coast, of course. From top to bottom, geographically speaking. The Independents, Moderates and Libertarians need to wake up & quit battling windmills.
So you can see in the dark?
Lucinda! You’re back. Isn’t that nice.
So, if I only use the first letter of L.’s name, I can post; but, when I spelled her name out, my comment would not post…not even with a note that a moderator would review or a “spam deleted message.” I hit “Post Comment,” nothing posted, I refreshed the page and nothing still had posted. Just an FYI. As if I had not posted at all.
Cc what is your “Christian World View “? Unfortunately the evidence of what your cities churches WV is, is on display for all to see! You are now without excuses!
Well, I guess you could say Jesus was without excuses too, when He came to preach, teach, and save?
It is BECAUSE our Church’s worldview is not reflected in our cities that we must get to work, not throw our hands up and drown.
I get it that you don’t like LaFrance. But, unlike Bronson, she in competent, educated, energetic, has integrity and is not a criminal. Those are good qualities. Also unlike Bronson, she will not undermine the city administration for a narrow ideological cause. She will listen, is transparent and approachable. We are fortunate.
Spoken like a true lefty. For everything you just stated about lafrance, its truth is exactly opposite.
You’re right!
She is competent in gaming the system, educated in political power-mongering, energetic to surround herself with self-serving friends, has the integrity of a naked mole rat, and has not yet been convicted of defrauding the people and businesses of Anchorage while filling the pockets of those who’ve developed and maintain the Homeless Industrial Complex. She will not undermine the city administration because she’s already worked with the Assembly to amend the Municipal Code so drastically as to fundamentally alter our city government and because she fired everyone at City Hall she does not like and hired her cohorts in self-aggrandizement. She will listen to Chris Constant, is as transparent as a Covid desk shield, and truly makes herself approachable when she votes to severely limit public comment at Assembly meetings and holds listening sessions as our new mayor in which we are given the precious opportunity -to listen to her.
I’ve been following your blog for quite some time now, and I’m continually impressed by the quality of your content. Your ability to blend information with entertainment is truly commendable.