Anchorage pastor asks Assembly for five minutes to speak on Martinez case

Pastor Leon D. May is asking the Anchorage Assembly for five minutes of testimony at its Aug. 18 meeting. He says public comment ran out before he could speak at the last two meetings.

May filed the request with the Office of the Municipal Clerk on Aug. 12. He asked for two minutes beyond the three that municipal code allows, citing rules he believes apply to organizations, and signed as president and pastor of IMA & MLK.

His topic, in his words, is "the situation concerning Assembly Member Martinez, the concluding aspect of the two (2) AR's, that decisions were made on."

One is AR 2026-191, the resolution censuring Assembly Member George Martinez over Alaska Public Offices Commission findings that he made campaign expenditures that personally benefited him. That resolution states the Assembly intends the censure as its "complete and proportionate response to this matter." It adds that once Martinez fully complies with the commission's order, the Assembly considers the matter closed and contemplates no further action.

The other was a separate resolution directing an independent investigation of Martinez's taxpayer funded travel. It failed 5-6, and a motion to reconsider was declined 3-8. Its proponents, including Assembly members Jared Goecker and Donald Handeland, have argued that Martinez's conduct amounts to a breach of public trust. They say it warrants resignation or removal proceedings under Anchorage Municipal Code 2.70.030 rather than censure alone.

The Assembly typically grants no more than three appearance requests per meeting, and the clerk and chair may deny requests. Whether May gets his five minutes will depend on that review before the Aug. 18 meeting.