McLay told the Homer News that he has watched four of his kids leave town in search of work. The community is great, he said, but it needs to offer greater employment opportunity so that young people don't have to leave. Residents and city officials need to open up to the thought of growing, even if that is a tough idea to accept.
"None of us want to see Homer grow," he said. "But we all want the amenities that come with growth."
The city's biggest challenge is dealing with the inevitable growth Homer will experience despite new residents' efforts to stop it.
Homer's natural beauty quickly makes newcomers want to shut the door behind them when they arrive, he said. That feeling has existed for years, he told Homer residents recently at Homer Chamber of Commerce candidate luncheon.
"We felt that way years ago, before you people came," he said. "But you're here, we didn't stop you from coming. We can't stop other people from coming."
Residents want to keep services as they are, said McLay, and he supports increasing the sales tax next year. Services are at a level now where they contribute to the quality of life in Homer.
"Because of that, people should pay taxes," he said.
The long-term answer to the city's financial problems though, isn't taxation -- it is growth.
"I want to see Homer continue to grow in a healthy manner," he said.
"We cannot just grow by building homes. We have to grow with businesses that provide jobs that provide payrolls that are spent in Homer."
McLay, a former chair of the Port and Harbor Commission, points to the harbor, which he said is Homer's only revenue-generating property. He said that during his 11 years on the commission he worked hard to get the Pioneer Dock built so the harbor could handle more activity.
"If we market the investments we have, the income that comes from that will take care of much of the city's needs," he said.
Increased port activity would further pay off if the city increased user fees there, which could take some of the burden off residents who pay property and sales tax year-round. Fees at the load and launch ramp, for example, have taken some of the financial burden off local stallholders. A couple of increased fees on the Spit wouldn't slow tourism here, he said.
"We can make money and manage services for tourists while also dealing with congestion issues at the Spit. Even traffic downtown could be reduced."
-- Chris Eshelman
Val McLay has lived in Homer for 58 years, 35 of them as a small-business owner. A former propeller mechanic and charter boat owner, McLay said he recently freed up some spare time by paring his attention down to one business -- the Auto Clinic, which he owns. His workload is now only 60 hours a week, he said, freeing him up for more volunteer opportunities.
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