Homer, Alaska - News - Candidates make their final pitch 10/01/08

Story last updated at 9:29 PM on Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Candidates make their final pitch

By Aaron Selbig
Staff Writer

With one week to go until the Oct. 7 municipal election, candidates for Homer City Council and for the office of mayor got one last chance to speak before voters about the challenges facing Homer -- and how they would meet them -- at the Homer Chamber of Commerce's candidate forum Tuesday.

Current council member Mike Heimbuch is challenging incumbent Mayor James Hornaday and said the job of mayor is important because "the mayor is a lobbyist and a representative of the city."

Heimbuch described himself as a lifelong Alaskan, a commercial fisherman and music teacher who is concerned about the city's economic future.

He brought a homemade chart to the forum showing how the city has an "economic ceiling" that could be broken by taking on too many big projects.

"To me, that's the biggest single challenge," said Heimbuch.

"If we had bitten off that eight million dollar bond for the town center, we'd be in real trouble right now."

Heimbuch added that the city would be wise to complete a thorough statistical analysis of its present and future financial situation.

"I don't have a chart but, shortly after I was elected mayor, Homer was found to be one of the sexiest cities to live in," joked Hornaday when it was his turn at the podium, referring to a 2006 article in Men's Journal magazine.

Hornaday agreed that city finances were the number one priority for Homer.

"The primary challenge is to keep on a firm financial foundation. Our citizens are having real problems with fuel costs," he said.

Hornaday listed several accomplishments in his time as mayor of which he is proud - including climate change planning, development of oil spill technology and completion of the new library - and said being mayor has been "a lot of fun."

Addressing a question from the audience on why he resigned his office two weeks ago only to withdraw his resignation last week, he said he "lost his temper."

"Someone said losing your temper once in four years as mayor of Homer is not too bad," said Hornaday.

Local charter boat operator Kent Haina, who is running a write-in campaign for mayor, was also invited to speak at the forum.

Haina told the audience of his upbringing in a small town in Hawaii, his experience as a pilot for the United States Air Force and American Airlines and how he first came to Homer to go halibut fishing in 1983. He and his family moved to Homer full time in 2006.

"The biggest difference between me and my opponents is that I bring a fresh outlook to it without the acrimony of past politics," said Haina, adding that his top priority as mayor would be to attract new businesses to the area.

"When we are approached by a quality company who wants to locate in Homer, we should be welcoming them instead of driving them way," he said.

Three candidates for the city council each got a chance to speak at the forum, as well, though all of them are running unopposed.

David Lewis, a former schoolteacher who now works as a coordinator for the Youth Job Training Program at Kachemak Bay Campus, Kenai Peninsula College - University of Alaska Anchorage, said his priorities n the council would be encouraging job growth and improving quality of life with more youth sports and investment in the arts.

Bryan Zak, who has twice run for the council and lost, agreed that the encouragement of business growth in Homer should top the city's to-do list.

"We need to find a away to reduce taxes and keep our quality of life," he said. "We can do that by reducing government costs and encouraging business expansion."

Council member Barbara Howard, who was appointed to the council in April when former council member Lane Chesley moved out of state, said she enjoyed serving the city and looked forward to serving again.

"I'm just getting started so I'm asking for three more years," she said. ""I do not have all of the answers but I do have the determination to listen."

Aaron Selbig can be reached at aaron.selbig@homernews.com.

The 2008 municipal election will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 7. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. Polling places for precincts Homer 1 and Homer 2 are located at 491 E. Pioneer Avenue in the downstairs Cowles Council Chambers in the City Hall building. For more information, contact the City Clerk's office at 235-3130.

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