Letter: Website launched to put fees approval on May ballot

November 10, 2025

On Monday, Nov. 3, three members of the Ashland City Council voted against putting the question of whether residents should have a say before new fees or taxes are added to our monthly utility bills.  Three others supported asking voters that question. 

Mayor Graham voted no, against democracy, which means the only way this question can be put to the voters is through the petition process.  We need to collect over 1,300 signatures by the end of January to get the question on the May 2026 ballot.

We will be out and about gathering signatures the normal way.  If you support this effort, please visit ashlandcharter.info for more information and a downloadable form that you can sign and return.  Please share that website with anyone that believes the people should have a voice.

George Kramer

Ashland

Picture of Steve Mitchell

Steve Mitchell

Related Posts...

Letter: Thank you, Ashland Fire & Rescue

John Frank: I want to give a special “thank you” to Ashland Fire & Rescue for providing holiday treats and kindnesses to the areas senior citizens at the Ashland Senior Center on Nov. 24. Not only were there firemen present but some brought their children to help out.  That made it special! 

Read More »

Letter: Trump plans to free convicted cocaine trafficker even as he has suspected drug boats attacked

John Marciano: President Donald Trump has ordered the killing of fishermen on the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean with the charge of trafficking drugs, without a shred of evidence and in violation of the Constitution and international law. At the same time, he plans to pardon Juan Orlando Hernández, a former president of Honduras, who helped orchestrate a decades-long trafficking conspiracy that ravaged the Central American country.

Read More »

Our Sponsors

Grand Kyiv Ballet The Nutcracker Holly Theatre Medford Oregon
ScienceWorks Hands-on Museum Noon Year's Eve Ashland Oregon
Siskiyou Singers Holiday Music Rachmaninoff Vespers SOU Music Recital Hall Ashland Oregon

Latest posts

Obituary: Jerry Hauck

Obituary: Gerald “Jerry” Hauck (also known as Coach) passed away unexpectedly. A 30-year high school teacher, coach and administrator, Hauck ended his career with 204 wins as the Ashland High School boys basketball coach, the most by any boys basketball coach in the high school’s history.

Read More >

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek confirms she will seek reelection in 2026

Gov. Kotek formally announced her 2026 reelection bid Thursday, leaving her less than a year to convince Oregonians she remains the best choice to lead the state. News came after weeks of signals that Kotek, whose campaign has been emailing supporters for months, was officially gearing up for the 2026 election.

Read More >

Our Sponsors

Ashland Climate Collaborative Sreets for Everyone Ashland Oregon
ScienceWorks Hands-on Museum Subterranean Science In the Dark Ashland Oregon
Conscious Design Build Ashland Oregon
ScienceWorks Hands-on Museum Make a Splash Ashland Oregon
City of Ashland Public Notice Ashland Oregon

Explore More...

Don’t miss your chance to experience the Ashland High School production of “Wizard of Oz” in its closing weekend.
Obituary: Gerald "Jerry" Hauck (also known as Coach) passed away unexpectedly. A 30-year high school teacher, coach and administrator, Hauck ended his career with 204 wins as the Ashland High School boys basketball coach, the most by any boys basketball coach in the high school's history.
Ambuja Rosen: On weekends, college kids had loud parties late into the night. ... Who would throw a respectable, middle-class student out of his own neighborhood, interrupting his important college education? Yet if a poor, homeless person gets three strikes for noise, he’s out.
The seasonal rush for Christmas tree is on but before heading for the woods, people are urged to contact Rogue Valley Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management offices to obtain the necessary permits.
Tom Dimitre: Will the City Council use its oversight of parks in order to rebuke Rocky Houston's increased use of herbicides — and the increased uglification of Ashland streets with rocks?

Don't Miss Our Top Stories

Get our newsletter delivered to your inbox three times a week.
It’s FREE and you can cancel anytime.

ashland.news logo

Subscribe to the newsletter and get local news sent directly to your inbox.

(It’s free)