Mayor vetoes $16 million in ARPA spending, but Assembly is expected to override on Wednesday

By
Suzanne Downing
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10
439

Mayor Dave Bronson announced line-item vetoes totaling $16,199,091 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. The vetoes struck numerous studies and what Bronson called misguided spending choices contained in AO 2022-178(S). Bronson specifically said that the spending ignored the dire need to restore the fuel funding for police and fire vehicles.

The resolution, totaling $51 million, appropriated the second round of American Rescue Plan Act funds received by the Municipality from the federal government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Assembly is expected to override it at a special meeting on Wednesday.

“I support many of the projects and organizations who received funding under this resolution and look forward to the positive work that will happen in our city when this money hits our streets. However, after close examination I was compelled to veto items that funded duplicative services, went to organizations who had previously received federal COVID-relief funds, or were not properly vetted projects,” said Mayor Bronson.

The proposed list of projects to receive funding are here, and those vetoed by Mayor Bronson can be found here.

The Administration said it made multiple attempts to apply this one-time funding source to key Municipal needs, such as fuel for police cars and fire trucks.

Additionally, efforts were made to repair the Sullivan Arena and replace a failing roof on the Maintenance and Operations building where Municipal snowplow equipment is stored and maintained. These projects were unfortunately not approved or selected by the Assembly.

10 COMMENTS

  1. All of those payouts to grease the palms of everyone’s hobby/cause/agenda and latest hot trend are cheered by those asking, just human nature to never stop asking and never turn down a freebie; and thus the slide continues of innumerable civilizations, including ours as we are witnessing.
    It’s not really a good/bad thing, just simply regretfully our nature, and the cycles repeat. It simply “is”.

  2. One must wonder how much of this largesse is directly targeted unto the supposed Covid ‘pandemic’, and how much of this largesse is directly targeted unto an Assembly wish list?

    Perhaps a veto of the entire largesse is warranted, as it seems NONE of it is directly an expenditure unto said ‘pandemic’.

  4. To the assembly NINE. You have an oath contact with GOD for the people. When the book of life opens on us all, once we leave our tour of duty on earth. We all have to face our deeds on earth, oath takers have there oath duty deeds to pay for also. Our deeds here is our bank account for a Life time contract with JESUS or off to the fiery pit for life. SO HELP YOU GOD YOU SWORE. Fair warning stop mocking GOD the citizens and your OATH DUTY. Oath breakers turn back to GOD. For the people

  8. Is the Alaska Black Caucus a real organization created out of need or is it an extension of a political party? I noticed on advertisements for one of their sponsored events that they referred to themselves as the Democratic Black Caucus. If this is just another way of laundering our tax money, I think it should be exposed as such. Or perhaps just creating a problem where none exists, which seems to be the way of the assembly.

  9. The Assembly commie nine could, for their first time ever, do the right thing for our city and let the vetos stand…

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