LaFrance prepares to take over as Anchorage mayor after election is certified

Anchorage mayor-elect Suzanne LaFrance stands successful beforehand of City Hall aft her predetermination triumph was certified by nan Anchorage Assembly connected May 31, 2024. (Wesley Early/Alaska Public Media)

The Anchorage Assembly formally certified Suzanne LaFrance’s triumph complete incumbent Dave Bronson successful nan 2024 mayoral runoff predetermination Friday.

It’s been conscionable complete 2 weeks since first results showed Suzanne LaFrance starring incumbent Dave Bronson successful nan title for Anchorage mayor. 

With her triumph now official, LaFrance said she’s sewage a batch of preparing to do earlier she’s sworn successful arsenic politician connected July 1. 

“It’s still sinking in,” LaFrance said. “I mean, we’ve been focused connected getting started connected nan activity pinch nan transition. And truthful yeah, it’s been breathtaking already.”

LaFrance precocious launched teamanchorage.com, wherever her unit will soon statesman posting accusation connected joining her modulation team.

LaFrance, a registered nonpartisan, will beryllium nan first female elected to lead Alaska’s largest city. She’s nary alien to metropolis government, having represented South Anchorage connected nan Assembly for six years, including 2 years arsenic chair. During her clip arsenic chair, she often sided pinch nan body’s mean to left-leaning mostly successful conflicts pinch Bronson, a staunch conservative.

During his run for reelection, Bronson claimed that LaFrance would beryllium a rubber stamp for nan Assembly majority, and vice versa. LaFrance disagrees and said there’s ever going to beryllium conflict betwixt nan Assembly and mayor’s office. 

“What’s astir important is that we’re focused connected what’s champion for Anchorage and moving together,” LaFrance said. “And I look guardant to productive, respectful disagreements, truthful that we do person a amended result for everyone who lives here.”

West Anchorage Assembly personnel Anna Brawley supported LaFrance’s run and said she’s looking guardant to a much collaborative narration pinch nan mayor’s office. Bronson’s word arsenic politician was fraught pinch disagreements pinch nan Assembly complete which section had authority complete definite issues, for illustration budgeting and transparency. 

“There’s truthful galore times that we’ve had to measurement successful and fundamentally do portion of nan occupation of moving nan city, you know, beyond I deliberation what this occupation entails,” Brawley said. “So, I’m really excited astir being capable to attraction connected argumentation and past moving pinch incoming Mayor LaFrance and her cardinal unit to get things done.”

Conservative South Anchorage Assembly personnel Randy Sulte said he doesn’t deliberation LaFrance will needfully ever beryllium successful statement pinch nan Assembly. He congratulated his chap South Anchorage resident connected her victory, and said he’s hopeful that she’ll proceed nan momentum nan metropolis has made connected a number of issues, chiefly homelessness. 

“I deliberation we do request a year-round shelter,” Sulte said. “I deliberation we do request to clasp group accountable for crimes they commit. You know, being bum is 1 thing. Littering, stealing, intoxication is another.”

LaFrance agreed that addressing homelessness will beryllium a awesome rumor arsenic she takes office. She’s successful favour of nan sheltering exemplary nan Assembly has followed successful caller years, opting for aggregate smaller buildings.

“Certainly dispersed shelter sites, I deliberation arsenic acold arsenic champion believe goes,” LaFrance said. “I’m not successful favour of immoderate benignant of mega shelter located successful 1 portion of nan community.”

As summertime begins, galore smaller shelters are shuttering, starring hundreds of bum residents to statesman camping outdoors. The Assembly precocious passed caller regulations astir bum camping, prohibiting campsites adjacent shelters and limiting their size to 25 campers. LaFrance said she’s much focused connected uncovering shelter than immoderate campy abatements astatine this time. 

“I mean, that’s what we request to do present is make judge that folks person a spot to go,” LaFrance said. “And truthful that’ll beryllium a apical priority, building that beardown team, and ensuring that we person that scheme successful place.”

La France besides committed to reviving Anchorage’s climate action plan, which was mostly dormant nether Bronson.

“Heck yeah! I’m truthful looking guardant to dusting that scheme disconnected nan shelf,” she said. “It whitethorn request to beryllium updated, but location are truthful galore ideas contained successful that scheme and actionable steps that we tin return that not only amended our resiliency but besides person nan imaginable to trim costs.”

The city’s ambiance action scheme was originally adopted successful 2019 nether Mayor Ethan Berkowitz, pinch input from hundreds of Anchorage residents. It identified cardinal ambiance threats, for illustration accrued consequence of municipality wildfires and utmost precipitation. It besides group a extremity for nan metropolis to trim c emissions by 80% by 2050.

Under nan Bronson administration, nan metropolis grounded to merchandise yearly advancement reports for 2022 and 2023, though a spokesperson said successful December that nan scheme is still metropolis policy.

Heavy snowfall is 1 of nan astir nonstop ways Anchorage has knowledgeable ambiance alteration successful caller years. LaFrance said readying to person capable snowplow operators and instrumentality is “top of mind.”

The scheme is owed for a 5 twelvemonth update this year. Asked if she plans to complete it erstwhile she takes agency successful July, LaFrance said, “Absolutely.”

LaFrance said different apical priorities see afloat staffing municipal jobs, and providing amended nationalist information connected metropolis trails and streets. 

Another looming rumor has to do pinch constabulary accountability. Anchorage precocious had its first fatal constabulary shooting since officers were outfitted pinch assemblage cameras. The victim’s family is calling connected nan constabulary department to merchandise nan footage, but Chief-designee Bianca Cross has maintained that won’t hap until an soul and authorities investigation is complete. 

LaFrance said she’s looking up to being briefed afloat connected nan business earlier she wades successful connected whether nan footage should beryllium released. 

“I want to definitive condolences for nan nonaccomplishment of that individual,” LaFrance said. “And past besides to, you know, beryllium very clear astir my committedness to moving pinch nan organization and APD for afloat transparency and accountability arsenic to nan facts of nan business and what happened.”

LaFrance takes nan reins of nan metropolis arsenic officials are caught successful different statement complete what to do pinch nan Eklutna River and its hydroelectric dam. Officials pinch nan metropolis and nan utilities that trust connected nan reservoir for powerfulness and h2o person been moving connected plans to mitigate immoderate of nan harm to nan Eklutna River from nan dam, though not everyone agrees connected what should beryllium done. 

Mayor Bronson sided pinch nan utilities connected a partial removal scheme they opportunity would minimally effect ratepayers. 

However, LaFrance supports nan Assembly and nan Native Village of Eklutna, who want to afloat region nan dam. Though nan city’s scheme for nan task has already been sounded to nan governor, LaFrance is hopeful it tin still beryllium amended. 

“I do support nan tribe, and their imagination for afloat restoration, and that’s my imagination too,” LaFrance said. “And I judge that that’s thing we tin still get to.”

After nan predetermination results were certified, nan Assembly issued apt their past override of a Bronson veto, reaffirming an effort to measurement successful connected nan Eklutna Hydroelectric Project.

Alaska Public Media’s Kavitha George contributed to this report.