Budget process getting underway, city hopes to improve communications with the community

By Stephen Floyd, Ashland.news

Ashland City Manager Joe Lessard said the sudden resignations of former Mayor Julie Akins and former Councilor Shaun Moran, and upcoming efforts to fill their seats, will not impact city services or administration.

Lessard told Ashland.News in an interview Friday, while there may be “bumps and changes” in filling the two vacancies, the routine at City Hall will be “business as usual.”

“We’re not going to miss a beat,” he said. “City operations are going on normally, the council will continue to function.”

Though mayors play major administrative roles in some cities, the City Charter was revised in 2021 to place administrative authority in the city manager’s office. Akin’s role was focused on chairing the City Council, managing city committees and committee appointments, administrative oversight and leading efforts to shape and manage city policy.

“(Ashland’s mayor is) the political lead for the community,” said Lessard, “so they help set a tone for discussions and top priorities.”

The council is scheduled to meet Tuesday night to consider a process for filling the vacancies. The City Charter gives the council broad discretion for this process and requires that a vacancy be filled within 60 days from the date of resignation.

Akins and Moran submitted their resignations Jan. 23 and 24, respectively, with Akins’ last day on Friday and Moran departing immediately. 

Akins said in her resignation letter it was time for her to step down and did not provide specific reasons. On Friday she declined an interview request from Ashland.News.

Moran said in his resignation letter he was frustrated by what he sees as an inevitable budget crisis in Ashland due to “unfettered spending” and a lack of action by fellow officials and city administrators to change course. He said it was “hopeless” to expect his continued service on the council would lead to necessary changes and he was stepping down.

Moran had also expressed frustrations during recent council meetings after Lessard informed officials last November they would no longer receive full medical benefits, which councilors and the mayor had received through the City Charter since 1950. Lessard told them medical costs have grown exponentially and it was not practical to hold the city to such outdated standards, and canceled medical benefits starting in December.

During the Dec. 6, 2022, City Council meeting, Moran said he felt misled and marginalized after private conversations with Lessard on the topic, and openly pondered suing the city. He then threatened to leave the meeting when then-Councilor Stephen Jensen said the issue was better-suited for a future discussion, but remained after Akins allowed discussions to continue on a limited timeframe.

When Lessard was asked if he thought the cancellation of health benefits may have motivated Moran to step down, he told Ashland.news he has not heard of any reasons beyond what was stated in Moran’s letter.

“(Moran) and I haven’t had any one-on-one meetings, so his input was really made during the council meetings,” said Lessard.

In addition to Tuesday’s council meeting, a town hall remains scheduled for Monday, though without the annual State of the City Address in light of Akins’ resignation. 

When asked about the current state of affairs in Ashland, Lessard said the council is working to create a budget committee to help craft a budget for the 2023-2025 biennium, as well as a timeline for budget approval. He said the city is also considering revisions to its communications plan to improve outreach to the media and the community, improving both the flow of information and the city’s public profile.

Both items are on the council’s agenda for Tuesday.

Email Ashland.news reporter Stephen Floyd at sfloydmedia@gmail.com.