Anchorage Assembly to consider mayor’s proposal for $827,500 in settlements to fired executives

The Bronson administration and the Anchorage Assembly will meet Friday to discuss a proposal for settlements in separate lawsuits against the city made by two of the mayor’s former executives.

Last month, the city set aside $827,500 in the 2023 budget for settlements in accusations made against the Bronson administration. The mayor’s administration is now requesting Assembly approval to direct that money to settle legal claims made against the municipality by Heather MacAlpine, former director of the city Office of Equal Opportunity, and Amy Demboski, former municipal manager, according to the proposed resolution on Friday’s special Assembly meeting agenda.

City lawyers have requested that the settlements be discussed with the Assembly in a closed-door session during Friday’s special meeting. The Assembly may take up the matter for a vote after the closed session, or it may set the vote for a following meeting.

MacAlpine has filed two lawsuits against the city — one in state court and one in federal court — accusing Bronson of firing her in retaliation for investigating claims against his then-appointed library director. The lawsuits say the firing came as she began looking into multiple complaints from library employees that Bronson’s pick, Judy Eledge, had made racist statements and other derogatory comments.

According to the federal filing, MacAlpine asserts the city’s human resources department “received instructions from Mayor Bronson, or someone acting on his behalf,” not to investigate Eledge or take any disciplinary action against her.

MacAlpine has also asserted that a T-shirt worn by former human resources director Niki Tshibaka to a board meeting after her dismissal backs up her wrongful firing claim. (Tshibaka wore a black T-shirt that said “I’m with Judy” in bold text, referencing Eledge.)

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Eledge is currently the Anchorage Public Library’s deputy director. She stepped down from the director role before facing an Assembly confirmation vote.

Bronson fired Demboski as city manager in December. She subsequently issued a scathing demand letter accusing the mayor and his officials of violating city laws, acting unethically, discriminating against women and creating and tolerating a hostile work environment.

It’s not clear whether the administration intends to settle both lawsuits with MacAlpine, or how the money would be split between the two former executives.