Local governments across Alaska are preparing for significant change at state level, with the governorship and the make-up of the Legislature both to be decided in next week's elections, the Anchorage Daily News reports.
Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy cannot stand again because of term limits, so the state will have its first new governor in eight years. New legislators and possible changes to majority caucuses could also bring different priorities.
Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance said the city's funding requests, covering infrastructure, public safety, energy, housing and education, would not change whoever wins. The Alaska Municipal League, which supports 165 local governments, said councils were used to uncertainty but warned that state community assistance had stayed flat for more than a decade, eroding its value. Volatile energy prices since the US attack on Iran in February add to budget uncertainty.
Source: Anchorage Daily News
