It turns out municipal workers really do prefer working for Democrats. The latest employee survey shows job satisfaction at City Hall has surged since the Bronson administration ended.
The Municipality of Anchorage’s 2025 workforce survey shows a sharp rebound in employee morale across most departments, with significant improvements in satisfaction, trust in leadership, and confidence in the direction of the organization.
Sixty-four percent of municipal employees say they are satisfied or very satisfied working for the city, up from 52% last year. The share of workers who would recommend the municipality as a great place to work rose to 56%, compared with 44% in 2024, and more employees say they can see themselves staying with the city for at least two more years.
The improvement appears tied to a perception that the current administration is more organized, more communicative and more attentive to employee concerns, according to the survey conducted by the mayor’s office. Many respondents described stronger teamwork, better structure, and a renewed sense of purpose in their departments. Gains were particularly strong in pay-related measures.
While compensation remains a leading source of dissatisfaction, the percentage of employees who feel fairly paid rose from 38 to 50%, and satisfaction with compensation packages jumped from 29 to 44%. More workers also report understanding how their pay is determined.
The most engaged and satisfied groups include executives, non-represented employees, and those working in the Assembly, Municipal Attorney’s office, and the Mayor’s office.
The least engaged remain the police union, electrical technicians, and employees in the Police and Health departments. Police workers are notable in that they have low morale, according to the survey. This may be due to their distrust in the police chief, which is widely understood to be a problem.
Final MOA Workforce Survey Report 2025_REV 11252025 2
Tenure and age are major factors in how employees feel about their jobs. Workers with fewer than three years on the job and those under 25 reported the highest engagement levels, while those with more than a decade of service and employees between 35 and 44 were the least satisfied.
Although most respondents say their work provides a sense of accomplishment, long-term employees continue to express concerns about career advancement. Only 47% of the workforce sees opportunities to move up in the organization, a modest improvement from last year. Employees cited lingering frustrations with compensation lag, HR processes, communication gaps, and operational changes that they say can come too quickly or without adequate explanation.
The most frequently requested improvement across departments was clearer leadership direction, backed by more consistent and transparent processes.
Despite uneven results, the survey shows broad agreement around the mission of public service. Eighty-eight percent of workers say serving the public is a core part of their job, a figure unchanged from last year. Medical benefits, paid time off, retirement, and flexible schedules remain the most valued benefits, and retirement enhancements were the most commonly requested addition.
When Dave Bronson was mayor, city workers were not satisfied, according to the survey:
During Bronson’s final year, morale was low across nearly all categories. In the 2024 survey:
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Only 52% were satisfied working at MOA.
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Only 44% would recommend MOA as a workplace.
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Only 50% felt valued.
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Only 40% believed their pay was fair.
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48% understood how their pay was determined.
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60% felt they had the resources to do their job.
Working for Mayor LaFrance:
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Satisfaction jumped to 64%.
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Recommendations jumped to 56%.
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Feeling valued rose to 60%.
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Feeling fairly paid rose to 50%.
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Understanding of compensation rose to 60%.
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Resources to do the job rose to 58%.
The 2025 results suggest a shift in workplace culture and employee confidence after several years of instability, except for a few departments, such and Health and Police, where morale is noticeably bad. While many systemic issues remain, employees reported notable progress in communication, leadership engagement, and the overall sense that the organization is moving in a more positive direction.
5 thoughts on “Anchorage muni workers say they are happier working for LaFrance”
Just like under Berkowitz, unionized city workers under La France “get everything they want”.
Well. What government employee wouldn’t mind sitting on his butt all day doing very little and still collecting a paycheck with raise on taxpayers dollars
Government workers wouldn’t survive year in the private sector where they’d have to actually work to keep their jobs
They’ll complain no one can work under those conditions expected by private employers
Our welfare queens aren’t those single mothers on public assistance. The welfare queens are government employees, non profits, and contractors fighting one another to get a government contract
To be honest I’d rather public assistance go to single mothers, low income seniors (55 and 105), and mental and handicap disabled adults, than having a BIG government
At least the money isn’t having to pay for health care plans, retirement plans, wages and raises, PTO, life insurance plans, office renovations and maintenance.
At least the most vunerable will have to put the taxpayers money and put it toward grocers, gas stations, utility companies.
But I still much rather Alaskans taking nothing from government becsuse we pull our and family members own weight
But if I had to make a choice taxpayer money be better given to the public assistance recipient while government is reduced by 50% of the workforce and spending
Bronson wasn’t perfect, but he was a statesman, not a grifter. Grifters get along great.
People who enter political office as true public servants often disagree on the ways and means to get the job done. People who enter political office for the sake of personal gain are surrounded by others doing the same, so back scratching is a way of life.
Is it really so surprising that “The most engaged and satisfied groups include executives, non-represented employees, and those working in the Assembly, Municipal Attorney’s office, and the Mayor’s office”? The majority of those people are hired at the will of the mayor.
I’m sure it would be a safe wager to assume that those see things all rosie in the muni now also are arguing for funding from our taxpayers to return to the NPR and PBS.