Suzanne LaFrance outlines priorities for Anchorage’s future
Mayor-elect Suzanne LaFrance sat with SDMN for an interview where she outlined her policy priorities, explained the facets of the transition and elaborated on what she means by good governance.On May 31, Suzanne LaFrance was formally certified as the winner of the Anchorage mayoral race, defeating incumbent Dave Bronson and becoming Anchorage’s first elected female mayor. Now, as the transition between mayors is underway and LaFrance prepares to be sworn in on July 1, there are high expectations as to the tone of her administration and her policy focus during this upcoming summer. In an interview with Sol de Medianoche News, LaFrance shared some insights about her focus on good governance, the shelter crisis, and revitalizing the city’s climate action plan. Moreover, she outlines a detailed roadmap that reflects her commitment to transparency, inclusivity, and environmental sustainability.
LaFrance spoke with us a week after the formal certification and mentioned that her and the rest of her team are in the middle of the transition process: “We’ve been working hard, focusing on building out the team and planning the transition, and looking ahead to the administration.” In addition, she expressed excitement about the interest Anchorage residents are showing about her administration. “It’s been really exciting because there’s so much positive energy from the community. People want to be involved and are very optimistic about our future here in Anchorage,” she remarked. The transition plan involves two facets: an external and an internal one. The latter one involves the creation of a core group to focus on her three main policy areas: good governance, safe streets and trails, and what she referred to as “building Anchorage’s future,” economic development, growth, housing, and energy stability. She added: “We are forming a core group, like a steering committee, to work with a facilitator on each area.” At this stage, they also welcome feedback and public involvement to create actionable steps for her administration. The transition also involves hiring key positions to the municipality, like Katie Scovic and Becky Windt Pearson, who have been announced as chief of staff and municipal manager respectively. LaFrance further added: “We are starting the process to hire for key positions in the municipality.” She also is committed to ensuring that the team has a diverse point of view: “It’s important to have competent individuals with a range of perspectives and experiences that reflect the diversity of our community,” she stated. Threaded through all of this is the idea of “good governance,” which was a key topic of her campaign. LaFrance hopes to infuse this philosophy all across her administration that she described as service oriented: “Good governance is about providing services and keeping in mind that we’re here to serve the public.” According to LaFrance, this transcends just policy-action and involves every aspect of municipal work: “We need to prioritize respectful, service-oriented interactions, encourage robust dialogue, and focus on making positive changes. Our mission is to serve everyone in the community fairly, equitably, and transparently,” she added. In fact, Transparency in governance is an essential cornerstone of LaFrance’s administration. In response to recent concerns about the Anchorage Police Department related to the fatal shooting of Kristopher Handy, she emphasized the importance of communication and trust, as well as her commitment with process. “Effective policing requires a strong, healthy relationship between the community and the police department, built on trust and clarity of process. I’m looking forward to working with the community and APD leadership to ensure that relationship,” she stated. One of the immediate challenges LaFrance aims to tackle is the city’s shelter problem. She is clear on her stance against mega-shelters.“I’m not a proponent of the mega-shelter idea. I believe smaller shelter facilities or hotel vouchers are better practices,” LaFrance said. She plans to collaborate with various stakeholders and make data driven decisions to find suitable locations and resources for these shelters, addressing a longstanding difficulty in the municipality. Residents are encouraged to get in touch by visiting teamanchorage.com/joinus. |