The Oregon Department of Transportation is rushing to fill vacant positions as it recovers from resignations and a hiring freeze.The department will hire slowly at first and likely leave many positions vacant until it has enough revenue to cover the positions over the course of the 2025-27 two-year budget cycle.
The Oregon Senate on Monday passed the long-awaited transportation bill to update the state’s funding sources for road maintenance and operations. The bill would raise taxes and fees, including a gas tax increase from $0.40 to $0.46, effective Jan. 1, 2026.
Lawmakers are considering passing House Bill 3991, a transportation package that would raise $4.3 billion over the next 10 years by raising the gas tax by 6 cents, increasing vehicle title and registration fees and temporarily raising a statewide payroll tax for transit from 0.1% to 0.2%.
The House narrowly passed the 10-year transportation package; with a key Democratic senator recovering from surgery, the Oregon Senate will delay their planned vote on the transportation tax package for two weeks. The vote is scheduled Sept. 17 when Sen. Chris Gorsek will be available.
A bill to stave off hundreds of layoffs at the Oregon Department of Transportation, pay for road infrastructure projects and temporarily boost funding to public transit agencies moved forward Sunday after a rocky start. The House was expected to vote on the package Monday, with what would be a final Senate vote anticipated Wednesday.
Speakers shared testimony during a public hearing on Gov. Tina Kotek’s transportation funding proposal meant to prevent layoffs, preserve highway funds with counties and cities and modernize transportation funding.
The Rogue Valley Transportation District will begin major service reductions starting Tuesday, Sept. 2, due to financial strain caused by delayed federal funding. The cuts to service include the Medford-Ashland Express (Route 1X), shortened weekday hours and a complete suspension of Saturday service.
State Rep. Pam Marsh, D-Ashland recapped the 2025 legislative for constituents during a Sunday, Aug. 3 town hall and ice cream social in Talent.
The Rogue Valley Transportation District Board of Directors approved a plan that will cut two bus routes in Ashland.
Gov. Tina Kotek’s plan to prevent layoffs at the Oregon Department of Transportation and local governments around the state relies on a 6-cent gas tax increase, hikes to title and registration fees and doubling the payroll tax that funds transit.
Barbara Shor: I first met Jane Goodall in 1987 at a lecture she gave at the Sacramento Zoo, where I was working as veterinarian as part of my residency program in non-domestic animal medicine at UC Davis.
Ashland, long celebrated for its Shakespearean drama, is about to trade soliloquies for sarcasm. From Dec. 5 to 7, the city will host the inaugural Ashland Sarcasm Festival (ASF!), a comedy takeover designed to fill theaters, bars and restaurants with sharp wit, satire and laughter.
Tickets are selling fast for “Mass for the Endangered,” described as a multi-sensory film experience of music and animated artwork being presented Sunday at the ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum in Ashland.
Ashland Scout Troop 112 will honor local veterans with a free Veterans Day breakfast on Tuesday, Nov. 11, from 7 to 11:30 a.m., or until food runs out, at Elks Lodge No. 944. Scouts will take orders, serve meals and visit with veterans as part of the local troop’s tradition of showing gratitude to those who served.
A proposal to improve safety along Lithia Park’s received a tepid response from the Ashland Parks & Recreation Commission on Wednesday, Nov. 5. Although commissioners supported adding disability parking near the Japanese Garden and created a designated pedestrian walkway, many questioned whether the cost would lead to meaningful safety improvements.
Medford voters appear to have approved a 2% increase to the city’s transient lodging tax, which will help partially pay for the construction of a downtown conference center and minor-league ballpark.
(It’s free)
