Title 29, Municipal Government

(a) A voter of the municipality is eligible to hold the office of mayor in a borough or first class city. A member of the city council is eligible to hold the office of mayor in a second class city. (b) Residency requirements for the office of mayor not exceeding three years may …

(a) If a municipality has not adopted a manager plan of government, the mayor is the chief administrator and the mayor has the same powers and duties as those of a manager under AS 29.20.500. (b) The mayor may take part in the discussion of a matter before the governing body. The…

The borough mayor, subject to assembly approval, shall designate a person to act as mayor during the borough mayor's temporary absence or disability. If a manager plan has been adopted, the assembly shall designate by resolution a borough administrative official to act as manager…

(a) Except as provided in (c) — (e) of this section, the mayor may veto an ordinance, resolution, motion, or other action of the governing body and may strike or reduce appropriation items. (b) A veto must be exercised before the next regular meeting of the governing body and mus…

(a) The governing body shall, by two-thirds concurring vote, declare the office of mayor vacant only when the person elected (1) fails to qualify or take office within 30 days after election or appointment; (2) unless excused by the governing body, is physically absent for 90 con…

(a) Each municipal school district has a school board. Except as provided in (b) of this section, members of a school board are elected at the regular election for three-year terms and until their successors take office. Members are elected at large unless a different method of e…

(a) The governing body of a municipality operating a public utility may provide by ordinance for a utility board of five members and define the board's powers and duties. (b) As determined by ordinance, members of a utility board are either appointed by the mayor and confirmed by…

(a) The governing body may by ordinance establish advisory, administrative, technical, or quasi-judicial boards and commissions. (b) Members of boards and commissions, except for members of the board of adjustment and assembly members serving on the board of equalization, are app…

Unless otherwise provided by ordinance, the municipal clerk, attorney, treasurer, and police chief are appointed by the chief administrator. Unless otherwise provided by ordinance, an official described in this section serves at the pleasure of the appointing authority and, if ap…

The municipal attorney is the legal advisor of the governing body, the school board, and the other officials of the municipality. The municipal attorney represents the municipality as attorney in civil and criminal proceedings. The school board may hire independent counsel when i…

(a) The municipal clerk shall (1) attend meetings of the governing body and its boards and committees as required and keep the journal; (2) have custody of the official municipal seal; (3) assure that notice and other requirements for public meetings are complied with and assure …

(a) Except as provided in AS 14.14.060, the treasurer is the custodian of all municipal funds. The treasurer shall keep an itemized account of money received and disbursed. The treasurer shall pay money on vouchers drawn against appropriations. (b) The treasurer shall give bond t…

(a) The governing body may establish municipal departments and distribute functions among them. (b) Each municipal department is administered by a department head. With the consent of the governing body, the mayor may serve as head of one or more departments or a single administr…

(a) Except as provided by (b) of this section, appointments and promotions of municipal employees are made on the basis of merit. The governing body may provide for a personnel system and classified service. (b) By ordinance the governing body may designate confidential or manage…

(a) A municipality may adopt a manager plan of government. Adoption of a manager plan may be initiated either by petition or by motion adopted by the governing body. (b) A petition for the adoption of a manager plan shall meet the requirements of AS 29.26.110 — 29.26.160 except, …

The governing body shall provide by ordinance or resolution for a vote on the question of adopting a manager plan at the next election when it (1) receives a petition to submit the question to the voters that has been certified as sufficient by the clerk; or (2) adopts a motion t…

(a) If a manager plan is approved, the governing body shall, within 60 days, adopt the plan by ordinance or resolution. (b) The governing body shall notify the department of the adoption of a manager plan.

(a) The governing body shall appoint a manager by a majority vote of its membership. A manager is chosen on the basis of administrative qualifications and receives the compensation set by the governing body. A member of the governing body may not be appointed manager of the munic…

The manager may hire necessary administrative assistants and may authorize an administrative official to appoint, suspend, or remove subordinates. As chief administrator the manager shall (1) appoint, suspend, or remove municipal employees and administrative officials, except as …

A borough adopting a manager plan may, on agreement with a city in the borough, provide that the manager of the city serve also as borough manager. A city adopting a manager plan may, on agreement with the borough in which it is located, provide that the manager of the borough se…

A municipality may repeal a manager plan by following the procedures under AS 29.20.460 — 29.20.480 for adoption of a manager plan, except the question shall be whether the manager plan should be repealed. Within 60 days after certification of the election approving repeal of a m…

Before taking office a municipal official shall affirm in writing that the duties of the office will be honestly, faithfully, and impartially performed by the official. The oath is filed with the municipal clerk.

The manager and the other municipal officials or employees that the governing body may designate shall give bond in the amount and with the surety prescribed by the governing body. Premiums on bonds are paid by the municipality.

The governing body shall by ordinance provide a method of determining the salaries of elected officials. The salary of the mayor may not be reduced during the term of office of the mayor, unless during the term a manager plan is adopted. An elected official may not receive compen…

(a) A person may not be appointed to or removed from municipal office or in any way favored or discriminated against with respect to a municipal position or municipal employment because of the person's race, color, sex, creed, national origin or, unless otherwise contrary to law,…

(a) A municipality shall file with the department (1) maps and descriptions of all annexed or detached territory; (2) a copy of the annual audit, or, for a second class city, an audit or statement of annual income and expenditures; (3) tax assessment and tax levy figures as reque…

(a) In addition to other actions that this title requires to be by ordinance, the governing body of a municipality shall use ordinances to (1) establish, alter, or abolish municipal departments; (2) provide for a fine or other penalty, or establish rules or regulations for violat…

(a) An ordinance is introduced in writing in the form required by the governing body. (b) The following procedure governs the enactment of all ordinances, except emergency ordinances: (1) an ordinance may be introduced by a member or committee of the governing body, or by the may…

(a) To meet a public emergency the governing body may adopt an emergency ordinance effective on adoption. Each emergency ordinance must contain a finding by the governing body that an emergency exists and a statement of the facts upon which the finding is based. An emergency ordi…

The governing body may in a single ordinance adopt or amend by reference provisions of a published code of municipal regulations. The procedure under AS 29.25.020 applies to an ordinance adopted under this section, except that neither the ordinance or its amendments must be distr…

(a) Each ordinance shall be codified after it is adopted. (b) Within three years after incorporation of a municipality, the municipal clerk or the clerk's designee shall have prepared a general codification of all municipal ordinances of general applicability having the force and…

(a) The governing body shall provide for the maintenance of a permanent file of resolutions that have been adopted. (b) This section applies to home rule and general law municipalities.

(a) For the violation of an ordinance, a municipality may by ordinance prescribe a penalty not to exceed a fine of $1,000 and imprisonment for 90 days, except as limited by (f) of this section. For a violation that cannot result in incarceration or the loss of a valuable license,…

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the enforcement under AS 29.25.070(b) of a civil penalty against a minor for violation of a municipal ordinance shall be heard in the district court in the same manner as for similar allegations brought against an adult, except th…

(a) A municipality may not enforce a penalty for violation of an ordinance for which a surcharge is required to be imposed under AS 12.55.039 unless the municipality authorizes the imposition of and provides for the collection of the surcharge. The surcharge shall be deposited in…

The court may collect for a municipality any monetary penalty or surcharge or item to be forfeited as a result of the violation of an ordinance. The supreme court may prescribe by rule the fees to be charged by all courts to municipalities for providing collection services under …

A municipality may not enact an ordinance that prohibits or restricts a woman breast-feeding a child in a public or private location where the woman and child are otherwise authorized to be. In a municipal ordinance, “lewd conduct,” “lewd touching,” “immoral conduct,” “indecent c…

(a) The governing body shall prescribe the rules for conducting an election. (b) For an election in which voters cast ballots at polling places in their precincts, the governing body shall appoint an election board composed of at least three judges for each precinct. If the gover…

(a) Subject to other provisions of this title, the governing body shall provide by ordinance for nominations of elected officials by providing for declaration of candidacy or for petition requiring the signatures of not more than 10 voters, or for both. (b) A person may be nomina…

(a) Subject to other provisions of this title, a municipality shall give at least 20 days notice of an election. (b) This section applies to home rule and general law municipalities.

The date of a regular election is the first Tuesday of October annually, unless a different date or interval of years is provided by ordinance.

(a) A person may vote in a municipal election only if the person (1) is qualified to vote in state elections under AS 15.05.010; (2) has been a resident of the municipality for 30 days immediately preceding the election; (3) is registered to vote in state elections at a residence…

(a) Unless otherwise provided by ordinance, a runoff election shall be held if no candidate receives over 40 percent of the votes cast for the office of (1) mayor; or (2) member of the governing body or school board if candidates run for a designated seat. (b) Unless otherwise pr…

(a) The governing body may provide by ordinance the time and procedure for the contest of an election. (b) Unless otherwise provided by ordinance, an election may be contested only by a voter by filing a written affidavit with the municipal clerk specifying with particularity the…

The powers of initiative and referendum are reserved to the residents of municipalities, except the powers do not extend to matters restricted by art. XI, § 7 of the Constitution of the State of Alaska.

(a) An initiative or referendum is proposed by filing an application with the municipal clerk containing the ordinance or resolution to be initiated or the ordinance or resolution to be referred and the name and address of a contact person and an alternate to whom all corresponde…