2008 Alaska Election Coverage

HOMER -- The talk is of taxes as Kenai Peninsula voters prepare to go to the polls Tuesday to elect a borough mayor and decide whether to exempt food from sales taxes in winter.

Tuesday's election will also choose mayors for the towns of Homer and Soldotna and three members of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly.

The borough mayor race pits incumbent John Williams, a former mayor of Kenai, against Dave Carey, the current mayor of Soldotna and president of the Homer Electric Association board.

Williams, who is completing his first three-year term, contends he has straightened out the borough's finances and management by relieving burdens on homeowners. His efforts to shift the borough's revenue stream by raising the sales tax and lowering property tax rates were controversial, especially with assessments going up.

Carey, a high school and college social studies teacher, has served on the borough assembly and lost a primary race for the state House in 2006. He says the borough under Williams has been too aggressive in raising taxes.

Williams told the Peninsula Clarion he plans to take advantage of increased state funding for roads if he is re-elected. Carey has singled out increased vocational training and completion of the North Road extension in Nikiski as priorities.

The sale tax initiative would drop the borough's three-percent sales tax on nonprepared food items after the tourists go home in September. The sales tax would resume in June.

The initiative, placed on the ballot by a petition, is backed by anti-tax advocates who have pressed other such reforms on the borough, with mixed success.

The borough has predicted a $1.8 million loss in revenue if the measure passes. Opponents of the measure say the money would have to come from schools, which are normally funded to the local cap. Supporters of the tax dispute this.

The measure would also create complications for cities in the borough, who now have their own sales taxes but are barred from taxing anything the borough doesn't tax. The borough has authority to grant the cities exemptions, however.

Voters in Soldotna face an advisory ballot measure on where to locate a new cemetery.

Longtime borough assemblywoman Grace Merkes of Sterling is stepping down because of a new term-limit law. Two Sterling residents are vying for her seat: Marty Anderson, a member of the Kenai Peninsula Borough school board, and Charlie Pierce, a division manager for Enstar and a former Kenai planning commissioner.

A race for an assembly seat in Kenai pits former state representative Hal Smalley, a retired teacher now serving on the Kenai City Council, against Malcolm McBride, a former borough maintenance employee. One of them will replace Margaret Gilman, who is stepping down.

Incumbent Bill Smith of Homer is running unopposed to retain his seat.

In Homer, current mayor James Hornaday faces a challenge from city councilman Mike Heimbuch and write-in candidate Kent Haina. Hornaday caused a recent stir by announcing his resignation after a tense budget session, then reversing himself a week later.

In Soldotna, city councilman Peter Micciche and former councilman Chuck Davis are squaring off for mayor.

City council races are under way in Homer, Soldotna, Kenai, Seward and Seldovia.

Find Tom Kizzia online at adn.com/contact/tkizzia or call him at 907-235-4244.

ADVERTISEMENT