Soldotna residents will vote in a special election February 3 as to whether or not to create a charter commission and elect seven members so that the city may become home ruled.
Dale Bagley said it is important to him that Soldotna looked at becoming home rule instead of a first class city.
Bagley: “Kenai and Seward are home ruled and I know that Soldotna and Homer have both wished they were home ruled but some of the benefits have to do with taxes and how the borough does it and what the city’s roles are and it gives you a little more freedom on deciding what you want to do with taxes or not tax. There’s some other benefits too with zoning.”
Bagley is one of seven commissioners who went out to get signatures in order to become a candidate for the charter commission.
Bagley: “Because it had to be residents of the city of Soldotna, you run into people you know all the time but they live in Sterling or Ridgeway or Funny River so the way that I had to do it was pretty much go to houses and go to businesses that I knew had people who are from the city of Soldotna.”
January 4 is the last day that Soldotna residents may register to vote in that special election and absentee voting for it begins on January 19.
To see more on Soldotna’s steps to becoming a home rule city, click here.