Tuesday, Jan 13, the Anchorage Assembly postponed Mayor LaFrance’s 3% sales tax proposal after LaFrance motioned for the postponement, claiming the Assembly needed to focus on a funding proposal for the Anchorage School District instead.
The Assembly postponed the sales tax proposal, AO-2025-133, indefinitely with a vote of 12-0.
Then, the Assembly heard public testimony and voted on AO-2025-136, a proposal intending to provide the Anchorage School District with $79,460,000 for capital improvements. The ordinance asks voters to consider an issuance of general obligation bonds to fund ASD’s capital improvements. If passed, Anchorage property owners will see a property tax increase to help ASD pay back the bonds.
The Assembly passed the ordinance with a vote of 9-3. Anchorage voters will have the final say on April 7, 2026, during the municipal elections.
Public Speaks Against Giving ASD More Money
Five Anchorage residents gave public testimony regarding AO-2025-136. Each person was given 3 minutes each.
The first resident used his 3 minutes to share his testimony as a Christian: “…My citizenship isn’t alone here in Anchorage, but as I stated on the onset of my testimony, I am a citizen of heaven. That being said, I would be remiss without lifting up the name of Jesus Christ. The name Jesus Christ originated as Yeshua. You may know Him as Yeshua. He is the King of kings. He’s the King of glory. And He is the only reason I stand here today with assurance I will not burn in eternity in a pit of fire, away from Him. If you don’t know Christ, if you’re confused, if you’re scared, if you’re fearful, turn to Jesus Christ right now. He knows everything you did. He will make you brand new. Everything else is a lie. We’ve got to lift up the name of Jesus Christ.”
The second resident, from Anchorage District 5, stated: “The Anchorage School District is a mismanaged government organization, and I can tell you the 79 million that we are going to have to vote on, I can tell you now they have received more money from the state which they have been mismanaging for years. Why are we contributing to more mismanagement? What we need to do is we need to demand the ASD go down to 75% of the municipal budget. There’s a lot of fat. There’s a lot of pork there… This 2x the Anchorage budget needs to stop. Investigate ASD! That’s what needs to happen.” The resident then proposed that only the property taxes of property owners with kids in the ASD should go to ASD, and the property taxes of owners with kids in private school should go to those private schools.
The next Anchorage resident: “I am a little surprised by the vagueness of this ordinance. Where did it come from? Back in November, it was not under discussion. I’ve been to a couple of ASD meetings, and their budget is fat. Why do they need more money? I mean, they were talking about closing schools; now, they want another $80 million? For capital improvements. On buildings they are talking about closing. I mean, something is not making any sense here.”
Anchorage Highschooler: “As a student myself, as a citizen here, born and raised, I am telling you ASD they make bank, more than their own teachers and aids… what is this going for? Who is it paying?”
South Anchorage resident: “Anchorage, where I was born and raised, pre-statehood, has survived successfully without a sales tax. I’ve raised my children here. Paid way too much in property taxes… Most of my tax dollars go to ASD and now they want $80 million more. And I would say, Anchorage does not have a revenue problem. I have a degree in economics. I understand money flow. We have a spending problem. And they want to cut all kinds of stuff out of Anchorage, but they never say, ‘You know, me personally, we need to cut back. We need to be responsible.’ There’s no one here that runs their family finances by just saying ‘I need to make more money.’ No, we start cutting back. Maybe we don’t go out to dinner as often. We cut back… To give the school district 80 million more dollars when we already have a short come, that’s kind of goofy to me. They already have plenty of money. They didn’t need the money when I was kid here. We’re paying more and more property taxes, and we’re having less and less to show for it.”
Assembly Discussion
Listen to the full public testimonies and the Assembly’s discussion regarding AO-2025-136 below (2:20:20-2:46:27).
AO-2025-136 Details
Here are the full details of the proposed funding for the Anchorage School District, including the district’s breakdown of how they wish to spend the money.
Projects include:
- Construction of Phase 1 building upgrades at Romig Middle School
- Building improvements at Lake Otis Elementary School
- Structural upgrades at Klatt Elementary School
- Renovation and construction of a new secure vestibule, roof and remediate truss structural issues at Tudor Elementary School
- Upgrade the Student Nutrition building and systems
- Demolish and dispose of hazardous materials at Ursa Major Elementary School
- Upgrade and replace electrical service and standby generator system at Bettye Davis Anchorage High School
- Installation of access control for 15 schools
- Planning and design for 2027-2028 projects
Hey Anchorage!! Are you ready to stop voting Democrat yet I know I would be if I lived in that sinking ship
Many factors have led to the current ASD budget gap but every year for the past eight years I have sponsored amendments to the ASD budget to reduce non-classroom related administrative spending. These spending reductions could have reduced the current budget shortfall but every year they were rejected. Together with other budget reductions I proposed millions of dollars of spending reductions that were voted down.
I have argued repeatedly, but unsuccessfully, that before asking for more money the ASD Board should show state elected officials that the ASD is trying to be more responsible with spending and more reasonable with policies such as dropping DEI spending and the current mandate for using failing national Common Core curriculum. Unfortunately, the Board has refused to make such common sense reforms.
My School Board term ends in April and I am running to replace Felix Riveria on the Anchorage Assembly. There will be two open seats on the School Board in the coming April election.
Speaking only for myself and not the ASD or School Board.
Dave Donley current School Board Member and Candidate for Anchorage Midtown Assembly
I will not be surprised if dumb Anchorage voters pass this waste of money proposal.
Rather than passing on these costs to the taxpayers of Anchorage, perhaps the Assembly and School Board should be hold Jharrett Bryantt to account. He has yet to provide a balanced budget. He has yet to stick to his budget. Alaska has had a net out-migration for the past 13 years, yet he has not done a truly objective review and closed schools that are surplus. And his buddies at the NEA/AFT get whatever they want while parents and grandparents must stand constantly on watch to guard agains school nurses and teachers who work behind their backs to secretly transition their kids into the opposite sex.
And of course every single project will go way over budget and the ASD will need even more funding like the cancer they are. If “North Seattle” voters approve this scam, they deserve to pay the additional taxes it’ll require. Everyone is cutting back these days except local governments. Just say NO!! Are you not tired of being fleeced?
They will NOT stop until all taxes are approved. They WILL move to tax outside the cap anytime they can.
You get what you voted for, Anchorage. And the 85% who didn’t vote? This is on YOU.
“You cannot complain if you do not vote.”
#houseupforsalecurrently
Agree John H they will pass it then they will levy a 3%.Stankorage voted for this.
Anyone who votes for this garbage needs to pay my portion of the property Tax. Sick and tire of ASD wanting more and more when the school system is an utter failure and the Superintendent needs to go back to lower 48. He is completely out of his league and never should have been hired. That’s what happens when you base decisions on DEI you get .
Do not delude yourself into thinking the Assembly cares in any way what the voters want. They are going to spend until they run out of money, then raise taxes to cover the cost of luxuries they voted for.
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Seriously, why do they always have to push bonds for the things taxpayers are funding, but never seem to have a problem funding the homeless industrial complex? Who cares the roads are still crap days after a snow, just as long as the homeless are warm and comfortable in a Mark Begich owned hotel. (Soon to be renovated and sold a massive profit.)
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Politician is the only job where you can spend beyond your means, then demand, using the force of law, a raise to cover the luxury purchases.