Voters across the borough headed to the polls today to cast their ballots in favor of candidates for Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly, service area boards and school board. Kenai Peninsula residents also weighed in on a few ballot propositions.
On the southern peninsula, incumbent Willy Dunne and businessman Troy Jones are running for the District 9 seat on the assembly.
KBBI asked numerous voters leaving the polls to comment on the race, but did not come across any Jones supporters willing to comment. Robert Glenn is a Dunne supporter and said he likes his stances on solving the borough’s budget gap.
“I think in general he’s done a good job. He’s more realistic about that fact that we have to pay for things,” Glenn said.
Southern peninsula voters also weighed in on two ballot propositions. Several voters noted their support for the borough going to bond for $5.4 million in order to build a new school in Kachemak Selo.
Jane Dunn, no relation to borough assembly member Dunne, works for the school district. She said a new facility is desperately needed in the village near the head of Kachemak Bay.
“It’s a difficult area to get to and the idea of trying to send kids out to go to school someplace else isn’t logistically plausible,” Dunn said. “I have seen the school. I know that it needs repairs dramatically.”
Others like Homer resident Bruce Friend oppose the bond and want other means of education such as online schooling to be explored.
“I’m not against a school per se,” Friend explained. “I’m not against the facility, but I think the cost to put it there for the number of kids that are being served is just too high at this point.”
When it comes to expanding the South Peninsula Hospital’s service area boundary across Kachemak Bay, several supporters say communities on the south side of the bay need to pay into the hospital.
“They lost their clinic over on the other side so they’re using our facilities," Diamond Ridge resident Tim Joyce said.
Polls will remain open until 8 p.m. this evening. KBBI will report the unofficial results on air, on social media and at KBBI.org after the polls close. The borough is due to certify the results on Oct. 9. Results could fluctuate as mail-in, questioned and absentee ballots are counted over the next week.
