Largest local government in Alaska, covering 1,961 square miles from Girdwood to Eklutna. A unified home-rule municipality combining city and borough powers over a population of roughly 290,000.
Anchorage, AK, USA
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Speaker C
“the very drafty version that you're seeing here with a bunch of notes and kind of fill this in is a first pass at doing this from myself, Mr. Boland, and Ms. Baldwin-Day, who has joined us as the third member on this committee. But this— the goal is not that this coming from three of us, it's from all of us.”Anchorage Assembly: Budget and Finance Committee-of-the-Whole · Jun 18, 2026
Speaker C
“last year we passed this in September. We know that's pretty late. In terms of kind of when some kind of guidance like this would be useful, what timeframe would you recommend?”Anchorage Assembly: Budget and Finance Committee-of-the-Whole · Jun 18, 2026
Speaker C
“So fixing this is going to involve a real trade-off.”Anchorage Assembly: Budget and Finance Committee-of-the-Whole · Jun 18, 2026
Speaker C
“the intent is that we bring this forward probably at the July 21st meeting, so we have some time. And of course, this does not need to reflect every single person's individual priorities. We want to find what, you know, at least a majority of us can agree on at this point.”Anchorage Assembly: Budget and Finance Committee-of-the-Whole · Jun 18, 2026
Speaker C
“The first section really deals with asking for information in what's called the preliminary budget memo or the 120-day memo that that will come out around September 1st. So it's really asking for basically scenarios or any information to really, you know, project that the point of that memo is to say, here's the revenue we expect, here's the big trends, here's our capital improvement program list, and really kind of a preview of what the actual budget will look like.”Anchorage Assembly: Budget and Finance Committee-of-the-Whole · Jun 18, 2026
Speaker C
“the thing that Bill did not say, Mr. Fauzi did not say, was if we build more stuff, the Building Safety Service Area also fills itself back up, as we saw in the revenue. And so that is also a relevant piece piece of that conversation.”Anchorage Assembly: Budget and Finance Committee-of-the-Whole · Jun 18, 2026
Anchorage Hillside neighborhood demands expedited chipping days as municipal contracting stalls
The Huffman/O'Malley Community Council passed a resolution July 14 citing municipal contracting delays and poor communication that have left promised vegetation-removal services undelivered during peak fire season. District 6 Assembly Members Keith McCormick and Zac Johnson placed the resolution before the full Anchorage Assembly as AIM 106-2026, scheduled for the July 21 meeting.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Anchorage Assembly studies removal process it has never used
The Anchorage Assembly held a dedicated worksession Friday to walk through the full legal framework for disciplining or removing a member, a process first enacted in 1993 for Assembly and school board members and expanded in 2022, that no current member has ever seen applied.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Fairview grant dispute heads to Assembly with two members urging no vote
Two Anchorage Assembly members argue a $750,000 federal grant to site a behavioral health center in Fairview violates the city's own 2018 dispersed-placement policy, and that residents weren't told about the confirmed site until the day before it hit the agenda.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Anchorage Assembly set to approve transfer of three marijuana licenses to sole ownership at one address
The Anchorage Assembly is scheduled to vote Monday on a resolution approving the transfer of three co-located marijuana licenses at 5200 A Street to sole ownership by Yotam Levi, collapsing a seven-person ownership group; the July 21 meeting is the last before a July 28 protest deadline.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Anchorage Assembly weighs 10-year tax break for first-time homebuyers of new starter homes
The Anchorage Assembly took up a proposed 10-year property tax exemption for first-time buyers of newly built homes, responding to a market where prices have climbed 40 percent since 2020. The ordinance caps eligible homes at the municipality's current average assessed single-family value of $496,746.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago3 min read
Anchorage proposes tax break for mixed-use buildings with owner-occupied units
The Anchorage Assembly took up AO 2026-93 on Thursday, a Mayor LaFrance ordinance that would give developers a 10-year property tax exemption on owner-occupied units in mixed-use buildings, targeting high-vacancy commercial properties from the 1970s and 1980s that current law leaves out.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Anchorage tax-exempt property audit won't finish until 2031 or 2032 under current staffing
A formal report to the Anchorage Assembly finds that reviewing roughly 570 flagged tax-exempt properties will take until late 2031 or early 2032 at current staffing levels, with an estimated $811,000 annual tax burden shift at stake. The report is scheduled for the July 21 Assembly meeting.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago3 min read
Anchorage operator seeks renewal of four marijuana licenses across two sites
Eun Lee, designated licensee for both YNY Investment LLC and SHFT LLC, filed 2026-2028 biennial renewal applications with AMCO for four Anchorage marijuana establishments; the Municipality has until late July to protest, and the public objection window may already be closed.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Anchorage Assembly to hear third version of public safety commission ordinance July 21
The Anchorage Assembly will hold a continued public hearing July 21 on AO 2026-62(S-1), a third version of an ordinance that would create a 14-member Public Safety Partnership Commission with advisory powers only and a built-in sunset date of October 2029.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Anchorage's Assembly weighs censure — or removal — of George Martinez
The Anchorage Assembly votes Tuesday on whether to censure or move to remove Assembly Member George Martinez, after a state commission found he made improper campaign expenditures that benefited him personally.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Anchorage weighs $4M in park fencing as it works to hold reclaimed space
The Anchorage Assembly takes up two fencing contracts July 21 worth up to $4 million combined, awarding as-needed repair and construction work across Anchorage parks to McKinley Fence Company of Mat-Su and Acme Fence Company.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Anchorage tightens the rule on city workers' holiday pay
Anchorage will tighten holiday-pay rules for city workers across six unions July 21, forfeiting the pay if an employee misses any part of the shift before or after a holiday.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Anchorage Assembly set to vote July 21 on nearly $3M landfill tipping building contract
The Anchorage Assembly votes July 21 on a $2.99M contract to replace the nearly 40-year-old public tipping building at the Eagle River landfill. YH Constructors submitted the lowest of three bids, though all three exceeded the engineer's estimate of $2,587,500, with total certified funding reaching $3.24M.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago2 min read
Anchorage weighs $528,000 for addiction, homelessness, and disability care
Three reimbursable grants totaling roughly $528,500 go before the Anchorage Assembly on July 21, funding opioid treatment, a police care coordinator for the HOPE team, and Medicaid counseling services. The city spends first and recovers costs after Assembly approval.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Anchorage Assembly to consider beer and wine permit for golf simulator on Old Seward Highway
The Anchorage Assembly is scheduled Tuesday to approve an alcohol special land use permit letting Mulligan's, LLC sell beer and wine seven days a week at its indoor golf simulator at 9191 Old Seward Highway, with no public objections and full agency support.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
As federal wetland protections recede, Anchorage rewrites its own rules
A Supreme Court ruling pulled federal protection from much of America's wetlands, leaving it to local governments — a big shift in Alaska, the most wetland-rich state, where Anchorage is rewriting its plan.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Anchorage funded a program to fix 20 homes. It fixed one — and no one was penalized.
An internal audit found Anchorage rarely held its federally funded housing and shelter programs to their goals — one repaired a single home out of 20 — and never enforced penalties for falling short.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Anchorage keeps deferring a public safety commission it can't agree on
An advisory public safety commission for Anchorage stalled again Tuesday, as Assembly members split over whether it should have investigative power and subpoenas, its cost, and its purpose.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Fred Meyer owes Anchorage taxes, so its liquor licenses are on hold
The Anchorage Assembly entered a conditional protest against the renewal of four Fred Meyer package store liquor licenses, covering stores in Muldoon, Dimond, Abbott Road, and Eagle River, because the company owes municipal taxes. The protest allows AMCO to hold processing until the debt is paid.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Who pays when the state underfunds school construction debt?
The Alaska Municipal League is urging the Governor and Legislature to fully fund school bond debt reimbursement in the FY2027 budget, as shortfalls shift costs onto cities, boroughs, and local taxpayers.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
State agency warns Girdwood Parks Plan shows unauthorized trails on airport land
Alaska DOT&PF formally objected to the Girdwood Parks Master Plan, saying maps depicting trails crossing Girdwood Airport property without approved contracts, easements, or agreements could imply state consent and conflict with FAA requirements.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Anchorage Assembly approves $750K True North grant after amendments fail and crisis-care dispute divides members
The Anchorage Assembly voted 8-3 on Tuesday to award True North Recovery a $750,000 CDBG grant for a Fairview behavioral health facility. Two amendments requiring written crisis-care limits failed in separate votes during debate, and district representatives who had negotiated a no-crisis commitment said their trust was broken after the founder said he would not turn anyone away.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago3 min read
Anchorage won $191 million for the port that feeds Alaska
The Municipality of Anchorage and the U.S. Maritime Administration settled a 12-year lawsuit Tuesday, with the U.S. paying $180 million to the city. Combined with prior funds, the total reaches $191.3 million, the largest settlement in the municipality's history, with every dollar directed toward Port of Alaska construction costs.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Anchorage Assembly takes up repeal of 43-year Sullivan Arena ticket surcharge
The Anchorage Assembly received an ordinance Tuesday to eliminate a per-ticket surcharge at Sullivan Arena dating to 1983, with prospective operator All in 49 LLC offering a higher revenue-share deposit in exchange. No vote has been taken.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Anchorage Assembly to consider first-ever removal proceeding against Martinez
The Anchorage Assembly takes up two competing resolutions Tuesday, one to censure East Anchorage member George Martinez, one to initiate the municipality's first-ever removal proceeding, after APOC found his sworn testimony 'formulaic and evasive' and imposed maximum civil penalties.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Perjury counts detail Martinez's 63-minute Fort Lauderdale trip and evasive oath testimony
An accusation document filed with Anchorage's Municipal Clerk lays out timestamped evidence that Assembly Member George Martinez flew 8,000 miles to Fort Lauderdale and back in under 24 hours on campaign funds, then testified under oath the trip was for strategic planning, testimony APOC called not credible. Three perjury counts under AS 11.56.200 carry criminal implications beyond the civil penalties already imposed.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Federal settlement sends $180 million to Port of Alaska modernization
Governor Dunleavy, U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, and Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance announced Tuesday that the federal government will pay $180 million to settle a two-decade lawsuit over a failed MARAD construction project, directing the funds toward a $2.7 billion effort to rebuild the port that supplies roughly 90% of Alaskans.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Anchorage Assembly votes Tuesday on $460K for teen health, senior services
The Anchorage Assembly takes up three Anchorage Health Department grant appropriations Tuesday totaling roughly $460,000 for teen pregnancy prevention, aging and disability navigation, and case management at two public housing complexes serving seniors and people with disabilities.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Anchorage Assembly to vote on $500K shelter contract increase as earlier amendments used Title 7 waivers
The Anchorage Assembly votes Tuesday on a $500,000 increase to a Henning, Inc. shelter contract that has grown from $1 million to nearly $5 million since August 2025, with two earlier amendments executed after the administration issued Title 7 waivers.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Anchorage Assembly to vote on health cost increase for operating engineers
The Anchorage Assembly votes July 7 on a 7% health contribution increase for IUOE Local 302 members, raising the monthly per-employee rate from $1,945 to $2,118. The measure carries separate FY26 costs of $73,000 for general government funds and $53,000 for enterprise funds, triggered by Fund figures that arrived after the underlying contract was already ratified.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago2 min read
Anchorage Assembly to weigh $3,000 grant for hard-to-adopt shelter animals
The Anchorage Assembly takes up a $3,000 Best Friends Animal Society grant on July 7 that would fund behavioral training for animals at AACC that have been sheltered more than 20 days, with the goal of improving adoptability and reducing euthanasia risk.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Anchorage Assembly weighs retiring 43-year Sullivan Arena ticket surcharge
The Anchorage Assembly votes Tuesday on Mayor Suzanne LaFrance's proposal to repeal a per-ticket surcharge at Sullivan Arena that dates to 1983, replacing it with a higher gross-revenue deposit from prospective operator All in 49 LLC.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Anchorage Assembly set to vote on $360K for senior and disability services
The Anchorage Assembly takes up two resolutions on July 7 that would appropriate a combined $359,873 in state and AHFC grants to fund the Aging and Disability Resource Center and a case management specialist at two public housing complexes serving seniors and people with disabilities.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Anchorage trails plan is 27 years old. A replacement is in the works.
A formal literature review by R&M Consultants for AMATS and the Municipality of Anchorage confirms the city's 1997 Areawide Trails Plan is seven years past its 20-year horizon, a recommended oversight committee was never formed, and a replacement plan is now moving toward approvals.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Stalk Steakhouse in Eagle River must pay back taxes to keep its liquor license
Anchorage is blocking Stalk Steakhouse's liquor license renewal until it pays outstanding city taxes — one of five businesses, including four Fred Meyer stores, facing the same protest.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Anchorage Assembly to consider buying two wetland lots for under $30,000
Anchorage assembly to vote on buying two small wetland lots to bank "mitigation credits" — protecting one marsh so development can pave over another, an unseen part of how the city grows.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Anchorage takes another run at 'missing middle' housing
Anchorage's Assembly weighs an opt-in overlay letting owners along transit corridors build duplexes, fourplexes, and townhomes, a scaled-back push for more "missing middle" housing.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
An Anchorage shelter contract has grown from $1 million to nearly $5 million in a year
n Anchorage congregate shelter contract with Henning, Inc. has grown to nearly $5 million, raising questions about insider ties and results as backers cite the cost of leaving people unsheltered.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago2 min read
Anchorage Assembly introduces resolution to initiate first-ever removal proceeding against member Martinez
The Anchorage Assembly introduced AR 2026-192 for first reading on July 7, initiating a process that could lead to the removal of East Anchorage member George Martinez on charges of perjury, ethics violations, and falsification of records. The procedure has never been formally invoked since the municipal code was adopted.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago3 min read
Anchorage weighs selling a fire-damaged lot below market to a housing nonprofit
The Anchorage Assembly takes up AO 2026-97 on July 7, authorizing the sale of a fire-damaged parcel to Cook Inlet Housing Authority for $10,500, below fair market value, after a lender donated the lot to avoid code-violation fines and a competitive bid drew no compliant offers.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read