Title: Anchorage Assembly Considers Reducing Public Reporting Requirements for Municipal Attorney’s Office

Anchorage Assembly members are preparing to vote on a proposal that would eliminate quarterly public reports on legal settlements and indemnifications approved by the city, a requirement that has been in place since 2023.

The Municipal Attorney’s Office, led by Attorney Eva Gardner, has introduced an ordinance to remove the reporting requirement from municipal code, arguing that alternative methods of communication are more effective and protective of the city’s legal interests.

According to Gardner, her office already informs the Assembly about settlements and indemnifications through annual litigation reviews conducted in executive sessions, which are not open to the public. She stated that these privileged briefings are “both adequate and, when conducted in a privileged context, actually more protective and more useful than the cursory public settlement report.”

The current reporting requirement was established by a unanimous vote of the Assembly in 2023, during a period of heightened legal scrutiny following several high-profile lawsuits filed against the city under the administration of former Mayor Dave Bronson. The reports include details of workers’ compensation claims and complaints submitted to the Anchorage Equal Rights Commission.

Assembly Member Zac Johnson acknowledged the value of transparency but also recognized concerns about the operational burden such reporting places on city departments. “I have some questions that remain unanswered in my mind,” Johnson said ahead of the Assembly’s special meeting. “I think, as a general principle, more transparency is better.”

Johnson also noted the potential risks associated with public disclosure, saying, “We also need to recognize that, or at least be aware of, the operational burdens that some of these requirements put on departments… And then with that, It’s fair to consider that by publishing that information do we take on some risks of more people, you know, more litigation against the city, right?”

The Anchorage Assembly held a special meeting on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, to discuss the proposed ordinance, one of its final sessions before the current Assembly adjourns following the recent election and new members take their seats.

The Municipal Attorney’s Office maintains that eliminating the mandatory quarterly reports will not reduce accountability, as other internal and confidential channels remain available for informing elected officials about the city’s legal exposures and financial liabilities related to settlements.