Homer voters rejected two council members' bids for mayor in favor of retired judge James Hornaday.
Two newcomers to the council -- Val McLay and Beth Wythe -- were elected over candidates who had served on the city's planning commission. Council candidate Doug Stark was re-elected.
What does it mean? Newly elected council members explained it this way:
"Voters were trying to say that we want a change," McLay said.
"I know that the hope is that we'll be able to get rid of some of the negative thoughts toward growth," said Wythe.
In the end, voters' perceptions of how the candidates viewed the direction the city should take on development issues and how well candidates listened to their constituents proved the pivotal issues. Those candidates perceived as more growth friendly and more prone to follow the people's leading were elected to office.
The vote on the two ballot propositions can be seen as a vote of confidence in the future. Voters said "yes" to allowing the city to borrow up to $2.2 million for a new library, but "no" to a half-percent increase in sales tax. Their rejection of the tax hike can be viewed in many ways: Voters are willing to do without some city services, they think city government can be streamlined more, they think higher property tax is the better way to go or they anticipate growth in the local economy that will do away with the need for a higher sales tax.
In any case, the new mayor and council have a tough job ahead of them as they chart Homer's future.
They would do well to follow a lesson taught by the example of outgoing Mayor Jack Cushing: balance. In his eight years as mayor, Cushing, with the help of other council members, was able to balance the diverse viewpoints of Homer. There has been growth in population, in business and in new opportunities. Improvements to the port and harbor, the Homer Spit and Fred Meyer's plans to open a store here are examples that Homer doesn't say "no" to every project that's proposed. The proposed new library and work on a new animal shelter show a desire to improve the quality of life for residents present and future.
The key to making sure Homer's future is on a solid foundation is to not lean the building blocks too far to one side or the other. There's a lot to be said for compromise on the important issues that face the community.
Homer is fortunate it had such strong candidates willing to tackle tough issues. We wish the winners in Tuesday's election well as they get down to business.
Best wishes also to Mayor Cushing and outgoing council members John Fenske and Rick Ladd -- and many thanks for a job well done.
We encourage you to add your comments. To prevent spam, comments with links are manually approved during the normal business day. Please be respectful of others with your comments, bear in mind anyone in the community may be reading your comments.
