Parker, Carey running unopposed for Soldotna City Council

Published 9:30 pm Sunday, August 17, 2025

Two incumbents are running unopposed for seats on the Soldotna City Council this year, but a high-profile ballot proposition will keep the city’s election lively.

The big ticket item on Soldotna’s ballot this year is proposed annexation of 2.63 square miles split between five small areas around the city — including an area surrounding Funny River Road through to the Soldotna Municipal Airport; the area including Tsalteshi Trails, Skyview Middle School and Arc Lake; some area on the south side of Kalifornsky Beach Road near and including the Kenai Peninsula Food Bank; an area north of the city along the Kenai Spur Highway; and an area on the far side of the Soldotna airport where Foster Construction is headquartered.

The land has been found by the Local Boundary Commission to both exhibit “a reasonable need to be annexed” and be “compatible in character with the city.” Both city voters and residents of the five areas will be able to vote on Proposition A, deciding whether the city will or will not annex the territory.

Soldotna voters this year will elect two people to two spots on the council for three-year terms ending in October 2028, for Seat D and Seat E. Per the city’s code of ordinances, a candidate can declare for any seat if they are a Soldotna resident, U.S. citizen and qualified voter in the city.

Only Dave Carey, who has held seat D since 2019, and Vice Mayor Lisa Parker, who has held seat E since 2016, are running in this year’s election. Both candidates have long histories on the Soldotna Council and in other public offices.

Carey writes in his candidate statement that, in his years on the council, he’s supported the effort to wholly eliminate Soldotna property taxes, to develop Soldotna Creek Park and the Soldotna Field House, to enhance veterans displays and memorials in the city, and to develop “fiscally conservative” city budgets.

Parker, similarly, writes that she has supported the Soldotna Field House, Soldotna’s Arts and Culture Master Plan, and the Soldotna Downtown Riverfront Redevelopment Plan.

“All these things make me proud to call Soldotna home,” she writes.

For more information about the candidates or the ballot proposition, visit soldotna.org.

Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/peninsulaclarion.