Exactly what is a “breach of public trust?” Is it hiring someone who does not meet minimum job requirements, or is it using the back door to use money earmarked for COVID-19 relief to buy a hotel? Is it turning off the fluoride to our water, or is it giving yourself the power to throw out the result of an open, free, and fair election, remove the mayor from office and insert whomever you so desire?
A true breach of public trust could be any and all of these things. While the first three should be considered unacceptable by all, the fourth item is truly scary.
The municipal charter already includes a method of dethroning a sitting mayor. It is called the ballot box. Whether it is a recall or regularly scheduled election, the voters of Anchorage decide who holds the position of mayor. It should be up to those same voters if a mayor remains in office. The Assembly’s current power grab reeks of a former president’s attempt to overturn a free and fair election.
— John L. Hemmelgarn
Anchorage
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