The Anchorage Assembly reversed course Tuesday night and decided to pay a $250,000 legal settlement to former Municipal Manager Amy Demboski.
The move comes less than a week after Assembly members voted 6-4 against paying out Demboski. In a lawsuit filed last year, Demboski alleged she was fired in retaliation for bringing up concerns of illegal and unethical activities to former Mayor Dave Bronson.
East Anchorage member Karen Bronga proposed reconsidering the vote during Tuesday night’s Assembly meeting. Bronga previously voted against paying out Demboski because she wanted her claims to reach court. But she said she reconsidered after hearing from city attorneys.
“As much as it pains me to pass out money like this, I do think this is in the best interest of the city at this time,” she said during Tuesday’s meeting.
Bronga was among eight Assembly members who agreed to pay Demboski. Four voted no, including Midtown Assembly member Felix Rivera. Rivera said voting to pay out Demboski went against his morals and he worried how city employees would feel about it.
“This settlement is the fiscally responsible thing to do. I don’t disagree with that at all. But I’m not just looking at the numbers here,” Rivera said. “Two wrongs don’t make a right.”
Assembly members Randy Sulte, Daniel Volland and Anna Brawley also opposed the settlement.
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.
