Ill-Informed Public Bemoans Properly Noticed Assembly Meeting

Ill-informed testifiers complained at a special meeting of the Anchorage Assembly last evening, bemoaning what some said was a lack of transparency related to the proposed allocation of $51.6 million in federal Covid-19 funding distributed as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

Many who testified claimed the public hadn't been given enough time to study the resolution. In contrast, others complained a new Bronson administration was preparing to take the helm in July, potentially leaving much-needed funds to sit unused until that time — a seeming contradiction coming from a group of individuals that complained to the Assembly over the past several months that relief funds were not being distributed quickly enough.

Anchorage Assemblyman John Weddleton responded to such criticism by noting that the Assembly has had multiple work sessions, town halls and had received hundreds of emails about the resolution.

The city first asked for public input on the American Rescue Plan Act funds back in March, and the Acting Mayor proposed the budget on May 12.

"Today's meeting was noticed properly," according to Les Gara, who wrote, "statements that this was proposed just yesterday are inaccurate." Gara is a former member of the Alaska House of Representative and former assistant attorney general.

Assembly members Kennedy and Allard said that they thought an incoming Bronson administration should have a voice in the decision-making process, seemingly forgetful of their own party's rush to push through political and judicial appointments on a whim. Still, yesterday's special meeting was not a surprise, as some have alleged.

An amended version of the resolution, AR-2021-167, was ultimately passed 7-3. The next meeting of the Anchorage Assembly is May 25, 2021.

You can sign up to give public testimony at this link.