Assembly Report for December 17, 2008

ASSEMBLY LEADERSHIP COUP IS AVOIDED, HARRIET DRUMMOND IS NEW VICE CHAIR BY A VOTE OF 6-5: Continuing the meeting of December 16, 2008, the Assembly one day later elected West Anchorage Assembly member Harriet Drummond the new vice chair of the Assembly. She replaces Sheila Selkregg who resigned her position earlier this week in order to devote more time to her campaign for mayor in the Spring, 2009 election. Selkregg remains a member of the Assembly. The Assembly split 6-5 along traditional idealogical lines.

Election of Drummond to the Assembly's second highest position is particularly relevant to the current changes sweeping through Alaska: When current mayor Mark Begich leaves Anchorage to assume his duties as a United States Senator in early January, 2009, the office of Acting Mayor immediately passes to the chair of the Anchorage Assembly, currently Mr Claman. Without further action by the Assembly, Ms. Drummond will then become Chair and serve in that capacity until after the April 4, 2009 election.

Election of progressive Harriet Drummond as the Assembly's vice chair may put to rest rumors that some assembly members, including progressives who regained control of the body in April, 2009 were planning to remove Claman from his position as chair. If taken before Begich leaves for Washington, that action would effectively hand the position of Acting Mayor to another member such as Dan Coffey who has led Assembly conservatives in the past. Because the Assembly took no action this week on AO 2008-131 which would reduce the number of members required to elect a new chair at mid term from 8 to 6, it now appears unlikely further changes in Assembly leadership will be made before Sen. elect Begich leaves for Washington in January.