Amid the growing mountain of controversy facing Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson’s administration—whose many controversies were encapsulated in the latest product of the Anchorage Daily News/ProPublica partnership entitled “From Penis Cookies to Spying: A Growing List of Allegations at Anchorage City Hall”—the Anchorage Assembly has approved a lawsuit to force the administration’s secrets into the public.
On an 11-1 vote, the Anchorage Assembly voted to asks the courts to force the release of the administration’s investigation into how the litany of lies on former Health Director Joe Gerace’s resume went unchecked by the Bronson administration. Assemblymembers have seen the report but only behind closed doors during an executive session and Bronson has refused to release it publicly.
Anchorage Assemblymember Austin Quinn-Davidson said during Tuesday’s public hearing that there’s no reason to keep any of it secret other than to protect the Bronson administration.
“I’d like to say to the public we were duped into going into executive session. The reason we were given wasn’t really valid and when we got into executive session, we learned there was nothing confidential there, and that’s a dangerous precedent. It’s us, as the assembly the legislative and oversight body that represents the people of Anchorage, being asked to keep this administration’s secrets,” she said. “That’s not OK. I think we definitely need to demand transparency and this is one way to do that. Really, put it to the courts to decide if the document and/or tapes be made available. We wouldn’t be here had the administration been honest with us in the first place.”
Also: It Was Good to Be Friends With the Mayor. Then the Investigations Began.
Several concerns were raised about the Bronson administration hiring Gerace to lead the city’s Health Department, which oversaw the city’s response to covid-19 and homelessness. Both efforts under Gerace’s leadership were riddled with controversy, which culminated in Gerace’s abrupt resignation shortly before Alaska Public Media released an investigation finding he had fabricated large swaths of his credentials.
At the time of his confirmation, HR Director Niki Tshibaka attacked the allegations as “pure character assassination” ginned up by Bronson’s political opponents. Tshibaka was set to answer a second Assembly subpoena on Tuesday, but abruptly resigned on Monday.
In his resignation letter, which cited “increasingly toxic, hostile, and demoralizing work environment” for his departure, he noted that he was directed to “vet and onboard former Health Department Director, Joe Gerace, with a one business day turnaround.” He offered no other details of the hiring, such as who directed him to rush the vetting or why.
Assemblymember Meg Zalatel asked about the line during Tuesday’s meeting, and Bronson tried to redirect the question to acting municipal attorney Blair Christensen, whose final day with the administration is today after she announced she would be leaving in January. Zalatel said she wanted the factual answer from him and Bronson ultimately refused, citing —as he has done with any efforts to shed light on the situation in City Hall—that it’s all wrapped up in personnel issues that he will not publicly address in any fashion whatsoever.
Answers for anything were in short supply on Tuesday night.
Assemblymember Kameron Perez-Verdia noted the many high-profile resignations and allegations that Bronson has not only condoned a toxic work environment rife with retaliation and harassment, but has personally contributed to it. He said the public deserves an explanation, at the very least, about what’s being done to fix it.
“First, I want to give you an opportunity, Mr. Mayor, to address what most of us in the community have been reading and hearing about your administration, the massive amount of resignations, the toxic work environment. I’d like to give you an opportunity to respond to these, not the HR issues, but the issues of the fact that your administration is crumbling. I’d like to hear from you as to what’s going on and what you’re doing about it,” he said. “The second question is, have you seriously considered resigning?”
“I have not considered resigning in any way, in any fashion whatsoever,” Bronson replied, adding that he thinks the administration would be willing to meet in a work session to discuss some of the allegations but once again reiterated that much of it is guarded because it’s a personnel issue.
The stonewalling struck a nerve with many Assemblymembers, who mourned what was happening to the city under Bronson.
“My husband and I decided to make Anchorage our home, we decided to raise our children here and to see it being handled like this is so incredibly painful, and so unnecessary,” said Assembly Chair Suzanne LaFrance. “Yes, I am upset, forgive me folks, but this is really hard to take, Mr. Mayor. I don’t understand your behavior. It’s like you don’t give a hoot about our community. So, I think it’s time you address us all and tell us what the heck is going on with your administration.”
Bronson did not, in fact, tell the Assembly what the heck is going on with his administration.
The Anchorage Assembly voted 11-1 in favor of moving forward with the litigation over releasing the investigation and the tapes from the executive session with only Bronson-friendly Assemblymember Randy Sulte voting against the measure.
Matt Buxton is a long-time political reporter who has written for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and The Midnight Sun political blog. He also authors the daily politics newsletter, The Alaska Memo, and can frequently be found live-tweeting public meetings on Twitter: @mattbuxton.
Matt Acuña Buxton is a long-time political reporter who has written for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and The Midnight Sun political blog. He also authors the daily politics newsletter, The Alaska Memo, and can frequently be found live-tweeting public meetings on Twitter.
