By Anchorage Day-to-day News

Updated: 35 minutes ago Published: 35 minutes ago

Anchorage Assembly members listen to public testimond in the course of a specific Housing and Homelessness Committee meeting on Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. (Bill Roth / ADN)

The Anchorage Assembly on Friday mentioned it is filing an appeal with the state Superior Court in an work to acquire records on the city’s investigation into the former wellness division director.

Mayor Dave Bronson in February declined to offer documents to the Assembly on an internal investigation into Joe Gerace, who resigned as city wellness director final year as an Alaska Public Media and American Public Media investigation revealed he had fabricated or exaggerated substantial components of his resume.

In denying the Assembly access to the investigation, the mayor mentioned the documents are personnel records, so it would be against municipal code to release them. Bronson also mentioned releasing them would violate privacy rights in the Alaska Constitution. The Assembly, in the Friday appeal to the Superior Court, disputes these claims, and Assembly leadership has mentioned the public has a appropriate to know about Gerace’s hiring and tenure at the division.

Assembly Vice Chair Chris Continuous mentioned Friday that court “is the organic spot for these types of choices to be produced.”

“This is not an extraordinary action,” Continuous mentioned. “We have a disagreement of opinion on the query. There is no other method to have any choice produced, 1 way or the other.”

Bronson, in a written statement Friday, mentioned his administration “is reviewing the appeal and will adhere to the legal method as expected.”