Alaska Rep. Andrew Gray of East Anchorage has hired Anchorage Assembly member Anna Brawley to join his staff, a decision sure to prompt debate over ethical boundaries, public accountability, and potential conflicts of interest between state and municipal governance.
Brawley, who represents District 3 Seat E on the Anchorage Assembly, will now simultaneously serve as a legislative aide to Gray, who represents House District 20 in the Alaska State Legislature — a district that includes much of the UMED area of Anchorage. The dual appointment creates an unusual convergence of municipal and state responsibilities, and with that, a host of ethical questions.
Brawley makes $50,000 or more off the Anchorage taxpayers and the average salary for legislative staff is $82,000…