As the Homer City Council Oct. 5 election filing period came to a close Monday, Aug. 16, five candidates submitted applications for their candidacies. The upcoming election has three seats up for grabs, including current council members Heath Smith and Donna Aderhold’s seats. Two seats are for three-year terms, and recently-resigned council member Joey Evensen’s seat is up for election as a one-year term, the remainder of that seat’s term.

Candidates who filed for the three-year term include: Aderhold, who is running for re-election after already serving two terms on city council; Shelly Erickson, who previously served on the city council from 2016-2019 and has served on the Economic Development Advisory Commission and Planning Commission; and Adam Hykes, a former aide to Rep. Sarah Vance and a former sushi chef. The top two vote getters in that election will take the two seats.

Candidates who have filed for the one-year term include: Smith, who has served two terms on city council; and Jason Davis, a small business owner in Homer, who also applied for the current interim seat on council, which will be filled until the Oct. 5 election.

Additionally, former council member and retired teacher Francie Roberts has also applied for the interim council seat. The application deadline to fill the vacant seat ended Tuesday, Aug. 17, and the council will consider each candidate before the next meeting on Monday, Aug. 23. A temporary council member will be appointed at the special meeting at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, in the City Hall Cowles Council Chambers, and that person will serve until the winner of the one-year term race is sworn in after the election.

For more information, visit www.cityofhomer-ak.gov/cityclerk/city-council-candidate-filing-open-august-1-16.

Reach Sarah Knapp at sarah.knapp@homernews.com.