A large majority of Anchorage residents believe the city is on the wrong track and disapprove of the job Mayor Dave Bronson’s done since taking office.
Recent polling commissioned by the 907 Initiative found 71% of respondents believe the city is on the wrong track. When asked about Bronson’s job approval specifically, 66% of respondents gave the mayor a negative rating.
The 907 Initiative recently issued a report card, grading the mayor on his first 18 months in office. The report card looked at key areas of municipal government and leadership, such as education, transportation, and transparency. The organization cited news reports and other documents in its assessment. Overall, the mayor received a D grade.
In early March, the 907 Initiative commissioned Patinkin Research Strategies to poll Anchorage residents from across the ideological spectrum to determine whether its assessment of Bronson was in line with public opinion. The poll, running March 1-5, surveyed 400 residents and has a margin of error of 4.9%.
In addition to surveying high-level opinions of the mayor and his administration, the poll also dug into what specific issues residents feel strongly about. Homelessness rose to the top, with 78% of respondents saying they disapprove of the job Bronson has done to address homelessness. Seventy-four percent disapprove of Bronson’s work to address the Anchorage School District budget issues, 65% disapprove of his work to cut spending and keep property taxes low, and 58% disapprove of his job on crime and public safety.
Over the past few months, Bronson has dominated the news cycle due to allegations of unlawful contracting, failing to prepare the city’s snow plowing and removal, and a lack of planning for homelessness response. Sixty percent of poll respondents were aware of Bronson being accused of unethical behavior by members of his own administration.
Respondents reported strong disapproval of the mayor and the job he’s done so far, but they also reported a lack of support for cutting his term short. When asked if the mayor should resign, 41% said yes while 50% said no and 9% didn’t have an opinion.
Fifty-one percent oppose a recall while 44% support it. The least-popular form of early leave of office is the Assembly using its powers to remove the mayor, which has 36% support and 55% opposition.
Aubrey Wieber is the executive director of the 907 Initiative, which funded this research.
