The Anchorage Assembly has approved the 2025 budget for the municipality — and it’s the biggest in city history.
Mayor Suzanne LaFrance’s budget is $639 million and comes right up against the tax cap, which is the legal limit the city can levy against property owners.
The budget approved is also $39 million greater the one that Mayor Dave Bronson had offered last year for the 2024 budget cycle. His budget was then increased by the Assembly to $611 million and the Assembly overrode his vetoes, as he tried to push city spending back in its box.
This time, unlike last year, the Assembly fell in line with the new mayor’s spending plan and offered few amendments and little resistance.
“Crafting a balanced budget that meets the diverse needs of our community is no simple task,” said Assembly Chairman Chris Constant. “The budget we passed tonight reflects our values and is a return to good government—a government that functions between branches, collaborates with community members, and delivers quality public services people can rely on.”
For comparison, in 2009, the Anchorage budget was $421 million. If inflation was calculated into that amount and the budget was held steady, the Anchorage budget would be $614 million today. Instead, because of increased spending by Democrats who control the Anchorage Mayor’s Office and the Assembly, the budget is $25 million higher than what it would be had spending been kept in check.
The Assembly recently passed a massive tariff increase on goods coming through the Port of Alaska. Such an increase allows the city to collect revenues that are outside of the tax cap but that are passed on to consumers as a 7.5% increase in the cost of food and supplies.
