3 file for city council seats

Council members Caroline Venuti and Rachel Lord are running for reelection

Two seats on Homer’s City Council are up for grabs in this year’s election season. The seats in question currently belong to council members Caroline Venuti and Rachel Lord.

Venuti was the first candidate to file with the city clerk’s office, running for reelection. She was first elected to office in 2017.

Venuti’s candidate statement is pending online as of her filing on Monday, Aug. 7. Her background can be found on the city council web page at www.cityofhomer-ak.gov/citycouncil/caroline-venuti-council.

Joni Wise also filed for city council candidacy on Monday.

A Homer resident for over 29 years, Wise’s career background includes employment at Homer Middle School and West Homer Elementary. She currently works part time as an Indian Child Welfare Act worker for SVT and a contract Guardian Ad Litem for the State of Alaska, according to her candidacy statement.

“I believe our best days are still ahead of us if we use our resources properly,” Wise wrote in her statement. “I will work to improve business opportunities and help bring jobs for our citizens and revenues to our tax base. With my past experiences, I am certain I can bring unique approaches to enhancing education, decreasing property taxes and creating jobs.”

Current council member Rachel Lord filed for a seat on Tuesday afternoon, seeking a third term for a council seat. Lord’s statement expresses that her priority in serving on the council is to bring an informed and analytical voice to budget and policy decisions. “My main priority is a financially sustainable and responsive City that provides a strong foundation of services for its citizens,” the statement says.

The candidate filing period for the 2023 regular city election opened Aug. 1. Aspiring candidates have until 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 15 to file for city council seats.

The 2023 Regular City Election Candidate Filing Packet is available at the city clerk’s office or at www.cityofhomer-ak.gov/cityclerk/regular-city-election-candidate-filing-information, along with further details regarding filing requirements.

For more information on current candidates, visit www.cityofhomer-ak.gov/cityclerk/2023-candidacy-filing or contact the city clerk’s office at clerk@cityofhomer-ak.gov.

Homer News reporter Emilie Springer contributed to this article.