Smith defeats Burgess to win council seat

In unofficial results for the city of Homer run-off election for a Homer City Council seat, political newcomer Heath Smith easily beat incumbent city council member Beauregard Burgess by 310 to 192 votes, a 118-vote margin. With 115 absentee votes and two special needs votes to be counted, or 117 votes total, Burgess still could not win even if he took every of the uncounted votes.

Smith, 50, will be sworn in after the election is certified at a special meeting of the city council at 5 p.m. Monday. 

Burgess, 30, was appointed to the council in April 2012 to fill former council member Kevin Hogan’s seat. He was elected in the October 2012 election. As council member, he helped shepherd a city-wide build-out of a natural gas distribtuion system and creation of the Homer Natural Gas Special Assessment District.

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