AML Municipal Matters

AML’s Summer Legislative Conference just concluded, with 75 local government officials joining us in Utqiagvik for three days of information sharing, learning, exploring and learning about the community and region, and identifying priorities for this coming year. It’s hard to describe just how welcomed we were by the City of Utqiagvik and the North Slope Borough, who – along with UIC – helped to sponsor may of our activities. It’s almost impossible to thank them enough.

That said, it’s worth trying. Our summer session rotates around the state, with different members offering to host. Every community is different, and special in their own way. But the City and Borough went above and beyond to open doors and share the community with us. From ATV tours out to the northernmost point in North America to a performance by the Barrow Dancers, and including shuttle service between a variety of venues and then as part of a tour of critical infrastructure, it really feels like we got to know the issues and people in such a deep and meaningful way. AML and all our conference attendees are so grateful for having had this opportunity.

For me, it stands out as especially important as we celebrate 75 years as an organization. Almost like a north star, this visit stands out. We meant to spend this time together discussing many of the policies that impact local governments. We did, to a large extent, but the cancellation of flights due to an ash cloud meant that instead of additional speakers coming in to add to the conversation, we actually ended up with more time to reflect on what all these things really meant for our membership.

AML’s 75th Anniversary year is bookended by change and challenge. On the one hand, a change in federal administration has led to uncertainty across and within our communities. While that’s normal, the scale and pace of change has meant that local governments are dealing with a lot of new and different approaches that impact their own decision-making. At the same time – and a common trait between state and federal levels of government – is the direct and indirect shifting of more responsibilities to local governments. At the federal level, that’s a stated goal. At the state, it’s carried out almost through attrition; as the state struggles under the weight of its own responsibilities, cities and boroughs are increasingly expected to fill the gaps.

With those aspects in mind, a lot of the policy issues kept leading back to the same kinds of questions. What is the State responsible for? What is its responsibility to have the appropriate levels of resources in place to carry out those responsibilities? What’s the difference between an obligation, a responsibility, and a need? How do these responsibilities play out in different areas of the state, urban and rural, borough or unorganized? What’s its job, and what’s ours?

At the same time, how do local governments protect themselves from shifting priorities, and reduce the dependence they might have on a State unable to meet the needs of residents? How do local governments ensure that they have the resources and tools in place to be able to meet those needs instead? What do cities and boroughs need in order to be responsive to their residents now and into the future?

All of these are hard to quantify, or even to qualify. It’s going to be different for every community. But I heard a common commitment – these are our people, and our job is to do what we can, within our authority and with the resources we have available, to meet their needs.

What a wonderful sentiment to have come out of this event, unplanned but shared, in a place new and different to so many of those attending. What a compelling purpose to have expressed during this year when we’re spending so much time thinking through AML’s role over 75 years and anticipating what the next 75 look like. Maybe that’s what feels such like a north star about this event, that it will guide our way into the years to come.