The agenda for the Soldotna City Council is relatively light for their Wednesday, August 27 meeting but will include a home rule discussion.
The discussion is scheduled in Mark Dixson’s City Manager report.
Dixson: “It’s going to be discussing whether or not the City of Soldotna wishes to pursue changing over from a first class city to a home rule.”
Dixson said the process to switch to home rule would involve creating a charter commission which would form a sanction to be approved by the residents of Soldotna in an election.
He also said there are many factors to the city discussing becoming a home ruled city but the catalyst moving it forward is the Supreme Court’s decision on non-prepared food sales tax.
Dixson: “Well that’s the one where the borough residents would be able to decide whether or not the City of Soldotna can collect 3% sales tax on non-prepared food items. What we are in favor of is the City of Soldotna deciding what it should and should not charge as far as the sales tax and not the rest of the borough dictating what the City of Soldotna should be charging.”
That meeting will be at the Soldotna City Hall at 6 pm this evening.