Anchorage Assembly leaders demand response from mayor following scathing allegations

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Anchorage City Hall. (Hannah Lies/Alaska Public Media)

Anchorage Assembly leaders say they want Mayor Dave Bronson to publicly address the scathing allegations made against him by recently fired City Manager Amy Demboski.

A lawyer for Demboski issued an 11-page formal notice on Wednesday, calling his dismissal retaliatory and illegal. The letter also accuses Bronson of numerous legal and ethical failings, including issues with contracting out, creating a sexist work environment, and other illegal and unethical activities using city resources.

Read the full letter here.

Officials in Bronsons’ office have so far declined to comment on the allegations.

The city attorneys office advised us not to discuss these matters with respect to potential litigation, Bronson spokesman Hans Rodvik wrote in a statement Wednesday.

Assembly Speaker Suzanne LaFrance and Vice Speaker Chris Constant released their own written statement Thursday in response to the allegations. They said the claims in the letters were extremely shocking and described a level of mismanagement of municipal resources that we have not seen in our term in the Assembly.

Anchorage residents have a right to know that their city is being run legally and responsibly, they said. Therefore, we call on Mayor Bronson to immediately respond to these allegations.

RELATED: Ousted Anchorage City Manager Accuses Mayor Bronson of Breaking the Law, Creating a Hostile Work Environment

But LaFrance and Constant noted that many of the allegations fall outside the purview of the Assemblies, as the body is responsible for legislating and managing city spending. However, they said, the Assembly has recently moved to require that any spending of money in contracts not approved by the Assembly be approved by the body. In addition, they said, the Assembly ordered the city’s internal audit department to review sole-source contracts that were recently approved.

We will do everything within the powers of the Assembly to safeguard municipal finances and protect the interests of residents, the statement said.

While matters relating to city personnel also do not fall under the jurisdiction of the Assemblies, LaFrance and Constant called on all city employees fearing further irregularities to contact the city ombudsman’s office.

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