Homer has a new mayor and two new city council members, according to unofficial Homer municipal election results, but voters rejected Proposition 1, saying no to a new police station.
Homer City Council Member Bryan Zak won the mayoral race, defeating fellow City Council Member David Lewis by just 74 votes.
Zak spent Tuesday afternoon waving an election sign with his supporters in front of WKFL Park in Homer.
“I never quit campaigning. I never quit running the race, right up until the end,” said Zak.
Zak says he’s ready to serve as Homer City Mayor.
“Already this morning, I called over to City Hall and talked to the City Manager and let her know that I’m in it with her and with the city council, building a team as we move forward together,” Zak said.
Voters formed long lines Tuesday evening while waiting at Cowles Council Chambers to cast their ballots.
Voter turnout was 32 percent in this year’s municipal election, which is higher than the average turnout for the past four years, which was about 26 percent.
Shelly Erickson and Tom Stroozas were elected to Homer City Council.
Erickson received 922 votes, while Stroozas took 639 votes. Candidate Kimberly Ketter came in third with 181 votes.
Newly elected City Council Member Erickson said she’s already thinking more about the issues before the council, especially finances.
“The first thing that’s going to be in our face is going to be the budget. That’s probably going to be our first priority,” Erickson said.
Stroozas will be looking for ways to increase the efficiency of city services As a member of the City Council, he said.
“The main focus is to make sure that the city is doing everything the city needs to do in an efficient and cost-effective manner,” Stroozas said. “All I can say is that I will do my very very best and give 110 percent or more to do the job as it needs to be done.”
Perhaps one of the most controversial aspects of this year’s municipal election was Homer Ballot Proposition 1.
Voters narrowly rejected Prop 1, with 53 percent voting no.
The bond proposition would have authorized the city to borrow up to $12 million dollars to build a new police station in Homer, financed by a six-month seasonal sales tax.
The Canvass Board will meet Friday, Oct., to count approximately 300 questioned, special needs and absentee ballots.
It’s possible the outcome of the mayoral race and Homer Ballot Proposition 1 may change after these votes are counted, Homer City Clerk Jo Johnson said.
The election will be certified on October 10 at the regular Homer City Council meeting, where the new mayor and city council members are scheduled to be sworn in.
Shahla Farzan is a reporter with KBBI - Homer.
Shahla first caught the radio bug as a world music host for WMHC, the oldest college radio station operated exclusively by women. Before coming to KBBI, she worked at Capital Public Radio in Sacramento and as a science writer for the California Environmental Legacy Project. She is currently completing her Ph.D in ecology at the University of California-Davis, where she studies native bees.
When she's not producing audio stories, you can find Shahla beachcombing or buried in a good book.
