The Anchorage Assembly has overridden most of Mayor Dave Bronson’s vetoes to next year’s city budget, which it passed last month.
The largest veto overridden Tuesday night totaled roughly $1.2 million for Brother Francis shelter to permanently increase its capacity to 120 people. Ordinarily the shelter serves 75 people, but it has been at a surge capacity of 120 since July.
Bronson chief of staff Adam Trombley told the Assembly that the mayor vetoed the funding because he heard from Brother Francis that it could not increase capacity.
However, Robin Dempsey said that’s not true. Dempsey is executive director of Catholic Social Services, which oversees Brother Francis.
“Our intention is to go permanently to 120 beds,” Dempsey said at Tuesday’s Assembly meeting.
“Through the chair, perfect,” Trombley responded.
The Assembly voted 8-3 to override all but two of the mayor’s vetoes. It did not override the veto of funding for more security in Assembly chambers. It also voted to fund outreach on the alcohol tax separate from next year’s budget.
RELATED: Anchorage Assembly takes no action on Mayor Bronson’s request to expand Sullivan shelter capacity
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Wesley Early covers Anchorage life and city politics for Alaska Public Media. Reach him at wearly@alaskapublic.org and follow him on X at @wesley_early. Read more about Wesley here.
