LaFrance Responds to Bronson’s Budget Vetoes, Commits to Fund Public Safety and Solutions to Homelessness

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 29, 2023

Suzanne LaFrance for Mayor

Anchorage, AK: Today, mayoral candidate and former Assembly Chair Suzanne LaFrance reviewed and responded to Mayor Bronson’s budget vetoes. 

Bronson’s vetoes cut nearly $4 million from much-needed public safety and housing initiatives, including:

• Over $3 million cut from the Anchorage Fire Department’s Mobile Crisis Team and Anchorage Police Department’s Crisis Intervention Team, two popular and effective programs that send mental health professionals to respond to people in crisis and save critical public safety resources for other emergencies.

• Close to $1 million cut from local housing initiatives, including a fund to rehab vacant or abandoned properties and increase housing affordability in Anchorage.

“Budgets reflect our values,” said LaFrance. “When we underinvest in something, it means we’re undervaluing it. These vetoes shortchange some of the issues Anchorage residents care about most: public safety, housing, and solutions to homelessness.”

The mayor’s budget also fails to fund and staff municipal departments, leaving nearly $3 million in positions unfunded. Under-staffed departments include the Anchorage Police Department, which is down over 50 sworn officers, the Anchorage Health Department, which reached a high of nearly 40% vacancy, and permitting, where there is just one permit tech now working.

“We’ve seen this before in Alaska: We cannot cut corners and expect to solve our problems,” said LaFrance. “We cannot under-staff our departments, underfund our most effective programs, and expect to see anything but underwhelming results.”

As mayor, LaFrance’s budget will prioritize public safety. She has committed to fully fund public safety, including filling open positions at APD as well as funding the Mobile Crisis Team and Crisis Intervention Team. LaFrance is the only candidate for mayor endorsed by local police and fire.

LaFrance has also made housing and homelessness top priorities, alongside staffing up departments, so that the Municipality can deliver on the services included in a fully funded budget.

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Media Contact: Katie Scovic, katie@votesuzanne.com, 847-452-7860