As of September 2026, the city of Anchorage has new rules on the books affecting how much favor is granted to veteran-owned firms competing for municipal contracts.

“The impetus was we were looking to find some good policy area we could move the Assembly on to keep veteran-owned businesses in Anchorage,” said Jared Goecker, who represents Chugiak-Eagle River on the Assembly and was one of the measure’s two sponsors. “The goal there is not to modify the cost so much so much as to drive city business to veteran-owned business.  The other sponsor was Erin Baldwin Day.

According to the ordinance that ultimately passed the Assembly, proposals submitted by a business that can show through documentation it is majority veteran-owned get a 5% advantage applied to their bids, up to $50,000. That doesn’t mean the municipality would deduct that money from the final amount awarded, only that their bid would be more competitive by appearing 5% less expensive after the preference is applied to the total.

The actual adjustments to city contracting and procurement provisions bring the municipality in line with rules that already exist in similar state and federal bidding systems. The municipality already grants preference to local bidders who reside within the city.

Muni Veteran bidder preference information found here