The filing period for the local municipal election has opened, and interested candidates have until Aug. 17 to file.
The available positions in this year’s election are the mayor’s seat, which is a two-year term, and two seats on the Homer City Council, both of which are three-year terms. The filing period runs from Aug. 1 through 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 17.
The council seats are currently held by council members Rachel Lord and Caroline Venuti, and the position of mayor is currently held by Mayor Ken Castner.
As of press time on Wednesday, current council member Donna Aderhold has declared she will run for mayor and Castner has also made his candidacy official to run for re-election. Incumbent council members Rachel Lord and Caroline Venuti have also filed to run for re-election. George Hall also declared his candidacy for city council.
Homer citizens intending to run for city council or the mayor in the Oct. 6 Regular Election must officially declare their candidacy with the Homer City Clerk’s office.
Candidates must meet eligibility requirement of Homer City Code 2.08.020 and must be a qualified voter as outlined in Homer City Code 4.05.010 as follows:
a. “A person is eligible for the office of City Council or the office of Mayor if the person is a voter of the City as prescribed by HCC 4.05.010 and has been a resident within the City for a period of one year immediately preceding the election day on which the person is a candidate.”
b. “Residency within an area that becomes part of the City as a result of a local boundary change shall be deemed residency within the City for purposes of satisfying the one-year residency requirement of this section.”
HCC 4.05.010 Voter qualifications.
A person is qualified to vote in a municipal election who:
a. Is a citizen of the United States;
b. Has passed his eighteenth birthday or is such other age as prescribed by law for voting in state elections;
c. Has been a resident of the municipality for 30 days immediately preceding the election;
d. Is registered to vote in state elections at a residence address within the municipality at least 30 days before the municipal election at which the person seeks to vote.
A hard copy of the candidate registration packet will be available during the filing period in the Black Tote located outside to the right of the lower lobby entrance doors from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The clerk’s office is located in Homer City Hall at 491 E. Pioneer Avenue, Homer,.
Included in the packet is the Kenai Peninsula Borough Candidate Information for Publication form. This can be filled out and submitted with your candidacy filing with a 2-inch-by-2-inch photo to be included in the voter pamphlet distributed by the Kenai Peninsula Borough.
For more information and copies of candidate forms, visit https://www.cityofhomer-ak.gov/cityclerk/thinking-running-homer-city-council-filing-forms-are-available.
For information on registering as a candidate with the Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC), visit http://doa.alaska.gov/apoc/FilerResources/ElectronicFiling.html.
Reach Michael Armstrong at marmstrong@homernews.com.
