By IRENE QUEDNOW
In recent weeks, critics of community councils have voiced that councils are obsolete, ineffective, and that citizens have found other ways to communicate with their assembly members.
The Federation of Community Councils is also finishing up a complete re-write of their bylaws, supposedly to streamline their operation. But is that truly the case?
Anchorage is a home rule city and as such does not have a sheriff. A sheriff functions as a protective buffer between the government of a city/county and the citizens. Because Anchorage does not have one, the community councils are the direct voice and the checks and balances of the citizens for the assembly.
The Federation of Community Councils (FCC), is supposed to provide administrative, technical, and support services to the 37 independent community councils. The federation is a non-profit, not recognized by statue, which operates under a grant from the Municipality of Anchorage and is governed by a board composed of representatives from each council.
I was browsing the FCC website in order to learn more about community councils and the FCC and I found some troubling things.
Instead of informing the community councils the FCC is promoting meetings with the municipal planning department, with assembly members to talk about budget, have sitting assembly members and municipal employees speak at training sessions for community council officers, and lists resources of organizations where sitting assembly members are staff.
In addition to that, the municipal ombudsman, appointed by the assembly and only accountable to the assembly, is on the FCC bylaw re-write committee. All of this gives me the impression that the federation is a support organization for the assembly, not the community councils, which goes directly against the purpose of the FCC.
In addition, the assembly already employs people to engage with the public. It is called the Legislative Services Office which consists of the Legislative Services Director (no name currently listed on the muni website who that is), the Assembly Communications Director (Allie Hartman), and the Legislative & Policy Analyst (Jennifer Veneklasen).
The federation should not be engaged in organizing any of these meetings. If the assembly wants to hold a budget meeting, the Legislative Services Office should organize and execute that. The office’s motto/vision is posted on the municipal website:
“We see to elevate the Anchorage Assembly as an institution, ensure that the Assembly’s work is visible in the community, and ensure that the people of Anchorage are engaged and included in that work.”
Looking at the FCC website and its activities, one could assume that this is now the federation’s motto/vision as well.
The Federation of Community Councils needs to get back to the basics and engage with the community councils directly and elevate the citizen’s voices/council voices so they can be heard effectively by the assembly. A good starting point would be for the FCC to help the councils get the audience participation at the beginning of the assembly meetings back on the agenda as a permanent part of the regular assembly meetings. Now THAT would be truly helping the community councils and the voice of the citizens.
Are community councils obsolete? I don’t think so – read Municipal Code Section 2.40.
Let’s all work together to keep our collective voices as it was originally intended when community councils were formed.
Irene Quednow is an Anchorage resident who follows local politics closely.
5 thoughts on “Irene Quednow: Are community council’s obsolete?”
Lately leftists have been focusing on community councils to influence what happens at the assembly. They bully conservatives and overpower the community with lies. The whole system is corrupt.
Yes its about time others are finally seeing the political foundation of a community begins at the community councils, boards and commissions
It only feels “obsolete” when its one common voice being heard at council meetings (the Left’s voice) while you are the odd one out
There isn’t enough conservatives, Christian, Republican neighbors actively attending and helping one another by numbers to voting one another as officers for the year so Senators and Representatives can have different of opinion to even if the senator and representative or assembly representatives are of a different political ideology
You can’t afford to ignore the statewide races, the legislature races, board of director races. The most important place a party cant forget is the foundation. What is at the foundation determines what or who is at the upper levels of governance. Republican neighbors have neglected their representation at their home district community councils too long which is the reason why your R candidates cant get elected to Anchorage municipal assembly and you have lost house and senate districts to the democrats becsuse of 1 you don’t know your own neighbors and 2 you don’t have an active presence at one’s local community council
All the Republicabs except one (Bernadette/ Sen. Shower) in the 2026 gubnatorial race shouldn’t be running for govenor. They either stay put in the legislature or they go join their community councils because they need to hear from more STRONG voices like Taylor and Crum for example
I find Ms Quednow’s article informative and credibly documented. Although I have been a resident of this community more than 5 decades, it has been less than two decades that I have taken an interest in local politics. I have not attended a community council meeting in all this time, due to lack of understanding of their purpose. This article has peaked my interest. If community councils provide a way for non-elected, non-appointed citizens to have a say in ordinances and regulations that affect our community, their existence seems like a good thing. I think I will check it out.
The only thing is about community councils is its officers don’t have to attend the assembly meetings just to communicate with the assembly members which most don’t unless it’s presenting an ordinance or nod proposal already with work done for the public’s information before its officially approved and placed on the ballot
The assembly members actually attend their councils in their districts. Community council officers have personal lines and emails to contact assembly members. They don’t need to wait for every assembly meeting to communicate with assembly members.