None of Anchorage's district projects got state money this year, city tells Assembly committee

None of Anchorage's district-level capital requests were funded in this year's legislative session, Mayor Suzanne LaFrance's policy director told the Anchorage Assembly Legislative Committee on Friday, as members began building the city's request list for 2027.

The Port of Alaska did get state money, funded as a statewide infrastructure need rather than a local one. Policy Director Nolan Klouda said the port received $15 million, with another $10 million that comes through only if the average price of Alaska North Slope crude is at least $80 a barrel on Dec. 31.

The city's 2026 legislative program made the port its top request, asking for $200 million if lawmakers put together a general obligation bond package. It also listed neighborhood projects such as $2 million to pave alleys in Mountain View and Fairview, which went unfunded.

Klouda said the House and Senate built the capital budget from existing statewide priority lists, including school major maintenance and the deferred maintenance backlog, so district projects went unfunded in Anchorage and elsewhere. Some money outside the capital list did come through, he said, including an increase to general relief assistance for assisted living, and the community assistance program was fully funded.

For 2027, Klouda pointed to infrastructure to support housing tied to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, school funding changes such as paying school aid a year in advance and smoothing out enrollment counts, continued community assistance and another increase for behavioral health. A shorter list of federal priorities would go with it, he said.

Assembly Member Yarrow Silvers asked whether items she said had already been paid for should stay on the list or be shifted to continuing needs. She pointed to $1.5 million for the police department's real-time crime center, emergency-response drones and Chugach State Park access. Klouda said he didn't know where those projects stand because the administration hasn't yet checked with city departments.

Committee Chair Janice Park said one of her priorities is restoring "the defined benefit package for public employees." The Legislature passed a pension bill, House Bill 78, in April, and the Assembly had passed a resolution supporting it. Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed the bill May 18, and an override vote the next day failed 33-27, short of the 40 votes needed.

The administration plans to bring a preliminary outline to the committee's Oct. 7 meeting and a fuller version in November before the program goes to the full Assembly. Vice Chair Anna Brawley said city code requires the Assembly to pass it by Dec. 10, and its Dec. 1 meeting is the only one before that deadline unless members schedule a special meeting.

Legislative staff told the committee that any project the city wants funded must be in the municipal capital improvement budget and program and entered this fall into CAPSIS, the Legislature's system for capital requests, or the state can't act on it.

During public comment, Jamie Lopez urged members to support legislation like House Bill 334, which would make it easier for unhoused young adults to get birth certificates and state IDs and stalled in the House this year. Lopez also asked members to weigh poverty and shelter capacity.

The committee next meets Oct. 7 at 1 pm at City Hall. Its meetings take public call-ins at 907-273-5190, participant code 721227#, according to the committee's agenda.