The two incumbent Homer Electric Association board members for the Kenai and Soldotna areas will remain in their current seats since they are unopposed on the ballot. The seat representing the southern portion of the Kenai Peninsula will see an election between two HEA board candidates.
Joe Gallagher with HEA says ballots will be mailed out to the energy cooperative’s members on Friday, April 1.
Gallagher: “Folks should see their ballots showing up in the mail as early as [that] Saturday and then throughout the month of April. HEA members have until May 3 to return the mail-in ballots. Ballots must be received in the mail by May 3. If you don’t vote by mail there’s always the opportunity to cast a vote at the annual meeting which is May 4, beginning at 4:30 with registration at the Kenai High School.”
Incumbent Dan Chay of Kenai is the lone candidate for the District 1 seat which represents Kenai, Nikiski, and parts of Soldotna.
The District 2 board seat, representing Soldotna, Sterling, and Kasilof, only has its incumbent as a candidate also: Ed Oberts of Soldotna.
For District 3 which goes from Kasilof to the Kachemak Bay area, incumbent Bill Fry of Homer is up against Stephen Pollack III of Seldovia.
This year’s ballot will also host six propositions.
Propositions 1 and 2 will change terminology in HEA’s bylaws and Articles of Incorporation from “husband and wife” to “married couple” in order to reflect 2015’s legal rulings regarding same-sex marriages.
The third proposition on the HEA ballot will clarify that the board director can only serve three consecutive terms.
Propositions 4 and 6 deal with eliminating redundant language and clarifying rules of order, while Proposition 5 details how board members can fill the director seat if it is vacant.