Alaska Municipal League
A Stronger Future 
A review of the 75 years of progress, and a look ahead to the future of Alaska’s local governments.
Before Statehood
1950-1956
The Alaska Municipal League (AML) was established in 1950, originally known as the League of Alaskan Cities, with the aim of modernizing territorial governance in Alaska’s municipalities.
Constitutional Convention
1956-1958
Passed in 1956, the constitution includes Article X, Local Government which sets forth the foundation for maximum local self-government.
Incorporating Boroughs
1956-1963
In 1962, with the Alaska Boroughs Act and reflecting its expanded scope, the organization adopted its current name.
Stronger Future
1964-2025
The Alaska Municipal League continues to play a crucial role in advocating for the interests of local municipalities.
AML-June-23-1950 – Seward seaport record
Sitka Daily Sentinel, December 5, 1955 – 2
Seward Seaport Record, June 23, 1950
AML-September-8-1950 – The Wrangell sentinel
AML-September-2-1950 – The Kodiak Mirror
AML-September-2a-1950 – The Kodiak Mirror
Kodiak Mirror, November 3, 1951
Kodiak Mirror, October 27, 1951
Sitka Daily Sentinel, December 5, 1955 – 1
Sitka Daily Sentinel, December 5, 1955 – 3
Founding and Early Initiatives
In 1950, the world was undergoing significant transformations. The Korean War commenced in June, marking a pivotal conflict in the early Cold War era. In Alaska, 1950 was a period of transition and development. The territory was on the path toward statehood, which would be achieved in 1959.
During its first decade, the organization emphasized the importance of local autonomy and worked diligently to prepare municipalities for the impending transition to statehood. By 1962, recognizing the broader scope of its mission, the league rebranded as the Alaska Municipal League, continuing its dedication to strengthening local governments across the state.
Advocacy for Municipal Interests
Promotion of Local Governance
Facilitation of Inter-City Collaboration
A Mutual Beneficial Association
The League of Alaskan Cities was created out of an Alaska Mayors Conference called by the City of Anchorage and held there in August 28-31, 1950. Represented there were 9 Alaskan cities – Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Nome, Seward, Kodiak, Seldovia, Cordova, Palmer – as well as three states and the Territory of Hawaii. Topics discussed at that meeting included the newly formed Alaska Public Works program, Territorial Health Department policies, Alaska Road Commission, Territorial Highway program, Assessment and Collection of Municipal Taxes, Sales Tax, Municipal Finance Problems, Problems of School Districts and cities Zoning and Annexation Problems, Law Enforcement and municipal Courts.
In the years before Alaska became a state, it was the responsibility of the League’s Executive to advocate with the US Congress directly in support of the 17 member cities and 95 percent of the Territory’s incorporated municipal population.
Executive Secretaries
1950, Robert E. Sharp, Anchorage, City Manager (Provisional)
1951-1952, Arthur Rosien, Anchorage
1952, Louis A. Weinberg, College
1952-1953, Mildred Kirkpatrick, Seward, Councilmember
1953-1955, Vic Fisher, Anchorage, Planning Department
1955-1956, Catherine Hoschouer, Anchorage, Planning Department
1956-1959, Lucy Mick, Palmer, Councilmember
Read some of their letters to the US Congress which include the Resolutions passed by the League of Alaskan Cities at their 1954 convention in Fairbanks.
- Pages from Alaska, 1955 – Hearings before the Subcommittee on Territorial and Insular Affairs
- 1959 – Pages from US Congress Senate committe on Appropriations
Constitution for the League of Alaskan Cities, 1950
Constitutional convention
Local Government Committee
During the Alaska Constitutional Convention of 1955-1956, the Committee on Local Government engaged in extensive discussions to shape the framework for local governance in the prospective state. The minutes from these meetings, documented in Folder 212.1, highlight several key themes, points of contention, challenges, and opportunities identified by the delegates.
Article X
The Constitution of the State of Alaska was adopted by the Alaska Constitutional Convention on February 5, 1956. The constitution includes Article X, Local Government which sets forth the foundation for maximum local self-government.
1956 – 1958
Establishment of Boroughs
Scope of Local Powers
Mandatory Incorporation
Innovative Governance Models
Enhanced Local Autonomy
Overcoming Challenges
Alaska’s vast and varied landscape, coupled with isolated communities, posed challenges in designing a uniform local government structure applicable statewide.
Provision of Services:
Ensuring that all regions, regardless of incorporation status, received essential services like education and infrastructure was a primary concern. The delegates sought mechanisms to deliver these services efficiently across diverse settings.
Constitutional Committee on
Local Government
A Summary of Minutes from the 1956 Constitutional Convention.
“In Alaska it is particularly important that we provide a local government system that will have the maximum amount of flexibility with the maximum amount of home rule, and at the same time with the maximum amount of state interest and participation in local affairs.”
-Delegate Victor Fischer, Day 58 of the Constitutional Convention, discussing the form and function of local governments established in the Alaska constitution
Atwood
Gruening
Heintzleman
Egan
Bartlett
Incorporating
Boroughs
1956 – 1963
With the Bristol Bay Borough incorporated in 1962, the League of Alaska Cities is renamed, Alaska Municipal League, following the 1962 Annual Convention. The new name was more appropriate with boroughs eligible for membership as well.
Through bipartisan legislative mandate, the “Mandatory Borough Act” of 1963, nine regional areas were forced, in a relatively short period of time, to establish themselves as boroughs. These were: Ketchikan Gateway, Sitka, Juneau, Haines, Kenai Peninsula, Anchorage, Kodiak Island, Matanuska-Susitna, and Fairbanks North Star.
Nome Nugget, September 20, 1961
kodiak mirror, January 30, 1960
Nome Nugget, January 16, 1961
Nome Nugget, November 14, 1960
Nome Nugget, February 25, 1959
Establishment of Boroughs
Alaska’s system of boroughs was created in 1961 as a response to the state’s unique geography, low population density, and the need for an organized system of local government. Unlike other U.S. states, which typically have counties, Alaska implemented boroughs to provide regional governance while allowing communities flexibility in how they organized themselves. The system was established under the 1959 Alaska State Constitution, which gave the legislature the power to create and regulate boroughs. In 1963, the state introduced mandatory and optional boroughs, encouraging local communities to form borough governments that could provide services such as education, planning, and taxation. The first boroughs, including the City and Borough of Juneau and the Greater Anchorage Area Borough, were created shortly afterward.
Over time, Alaska developed a mix of organized and unorganized boroughs. Organized boroughs, similar to counties, have local governments and taxation authority, while unorganized boroughs remain under state oversight with no formal borough government. The unorganized borough, covering about half the state, exists due to the challenges of governing remote and sparsely populated regions. This hybrid system allows for local control where feasible while ensuring state support in less populated areas. Today, Alaska has 19 organized boroughs, each varying in size, governance, and services provided, reflecting the state’s diverse and unique regional needs.
First Boroughs (1962-1964):
- Bristol Bay Borough
- Greater Anchorage Area Borough (Now part of the Municipality of Anchorage)
- Matanuska-Susitna Borough
- Fairbanks North Star Borough
- Ketchikan Gateway Borough
- Kenai Peninsula Borough
- Kodiak Island Borough
Second Wave (1965-1979):
- City and Borough of Juneau
- City and Borough of Sitka
- North Slope Borough
Further Expansion (1980-1990):
- Lake and Peninsula Borough
- Aleutians East Borough
- Northwest Arctic Borough
Modern Additions (1990-Present):
- City and Borough of Yakutat
- Denali Borough
- Haines Borough
- Municipality of Skagway
- City and Borough of Wrangell
- Petersburg Borough
Mandatory Borough Act
Hear from Former Attorney General, John Havelock discuss the development of the Unorganized Borough.
Unorganized Borough
The rest of the state remains in the Unorganized Borough, which has no formal borough government and is managed directly by the state.
Alaska’s Unorganized Borough is a vast region covering nearly half of the state’s land area, making it one of the largest areas in the United States without a local government structure. Unlike the organized boroughs, which function similarly to counties in other states, the Unorganized Borough has no central government, elected officials, or tax-levying authority at the local level. Instead, the state government provides most services, including education, law enforcement, and land management.
The Unorganized Borough was created when Alaska established its borough system in 1961. However, due to the state’s large size, low population density, and remote geography, it was impractical to require every region to form a borough. Over time, some areas have incorporated into organized boroughs, but vast stretches of land, particularly in western and interior Alaska, remain unorganized. The state legislature occasionally considers borough incorporation proposals, but financial and logistical challenges often prevent such efforts. As a result, many residents of the Unorganized Borough rely on state and federal programs for essential services, making it a unique governance model within the U.S.
Annual Local Government Conferences
A Stronger Future
Looking ahead to the future of Alaska’s local governments.
1964-2025
With the inclusion of the Boroughs, and to more clearly identify the league with its scope of membership the League of Alaskan Cities officially adopted the name change to the Alaska Municipal League at the 12th Annual Conference in 1962.
Why a League?
“Simply because it offers a real opportunity to all municipal officials for solving common problems; further it is a voluntary cooperative approach to solving problems. None of the many questions facing municipalities today are going to diminish or disappear by themselves. Dedication, hard work, alertness, and a cooperative effort must be maintained if municipal improvement is to stay ahead of municipal confusion.” – AML’s first Executive Director, Don Berry
Read the first newsletter from the newly named Alaska Municipal League:
Shared Services
Alaskans want all of the successes and all of the basic principles that have made this nation great, written into their constitution, perpetuated there and enlarged and expanded, and we all know they want none of the failures that have lead to clumsy, inefficient, costly and complicated government. They don’t want duplications and unwise restrictions and all the other abhorrent developments that come from an inflexible constitution.
Advocacy
AML’s advocacy is based on our Articles of Incorporation, “To secure general and municipal legislation at the state and federal levels which will be beneficial to the municipalities and inhabitants thereof, and to oppose legislation injurious thereto.” With 165 members – cities and boroughs across the state – the majority depend on AML to advocate on their behalf, and to amplify their voices. AML is a statewide, non-partisan organization.
Economic Development
Economic development projects are intended to strengthen Alaska’s local governments ability to withstand and recover from environmental, economic, and social challenges. By investing in infrastructure, emergency preparedness, and local capacity-building, these efforts will help protect vulnerable communities from the impacts of climate change and natural disasters. They also support stronger local economies and improve public health and safety through better planning and resource management. In the long term, resilience projects will empower Alaskans to adapt and thrive in the face of change.
AML, Inc.
To align with state statute, in 1972, the Alaska Municipal League submitted the following articles of incorporation to the State of Alaska. Though they were updated slightly over the years, most recently in 2014, the purpose of the League is included in these articles:
(a) To perpetuate and develop the League as an agency for the cooperation of municipalities in the state of Alaska for the practical study of municipal affairs.
(b) To promote application of the best methods in all branches of municipal service by holding at least one conference annually for the discussion of problems of administration.
(c) To gather and circulate information and experience concerning the most approved methods of municipal administration.
(d) To secure general and municipal legislation at the state and federal levels which will be beneficial to the municipalities and inhabitants thereof, and to oppose legislation injurious thereto.
(e) To safeguard the interests, rights and privileges of Alaskan municipalities as they may be affected by Federal and State governmental actions.
(f) To secure cooperation among municipalities of the State in a thorough study of local problems and in the application of efficient methods of local government.
(g) To provide means whereby municipal officials may interchange ideas, experiences, and obtain expert advice. (h) To engage in the study and preparation of uniform ordinances, resolutions, and practices; and to do any and all other things necessary and proper for the benefit of the municipalities of Alaska.
(i) To develop appropriate membership services and programs that strengthen Alaskan local governments’ ability to govern their own affairs and improve the well being and quality of life of their constituents.
Deeper Dive
Adoption of the Tennessee Plan
The Tennessee Plan and the Marston Plan were two competing visions for Alaska’s local government structure during the statehood debates and the Constitutional Convention of 1955-1956. These plans represented different approaches to balancing local autonomy,...