The City of Soldotna will hold a special election in February next year to discuss the possibility of becoming a home-rule city.
To cut costs and time, City Clerk Shellie Saner has proposed combining two questions on the February 3rd ballot. Voters will first be asked if a commission should be formed and then elect the seven members who will lead the discussion.
To run for one of the seats on the commission, candidates will need to file between December 8 and December 19 of this year and collect 50 nominating signatures from Soldotna voters.
Mayor Nels Anderson said the topic was brought about by the Alaska Supreme Court’s rule on the food tax issue.
Anderson: “Which if that we taken away from us would be a significant dent in our revenue that we need and would require us, if we just put it on property owners for example to have about a one and a half to two mill increase in property taxes to cover that loss of revenue from sales tax. So if in fact we are a home rule city then our sales tax would remain the same and we wouldn’t get rid of it because what happens at the borough level wouldn’t affect us.”
The council will meet at Soldotna City Hall at 6 pm this evening.
Homer residents voted down becoming a home rule city in the October 7 municipal elections. City Manager Walt Wrede stated he wasn’t sure their residents realized what they were voting on.