Furuichi Speaks Out on Budget Plan
Three months after the city of Ashland declared a state of emergency for the COVID-19 pandemic, it finally rolled out its plan to address inevitable revenue…
Diversify or Economic Ecosystem
On May 19, the Ashland City Council approved a modified resolution that removes economic development, cultural activity, and sustainability from its Economic,…
Bloated, Over-Compensated Ashland City Staff
A number of elected city officials and others have taken issue with the often-repeated ACES statement: “Ashland has three times the number of city staff…
Group Demands City Tighten its Belt to Save the Town
Saying that Ashland is on the brink of collapse as a tourist magnet, ACES, a local financial watchdog group, is badgering the City Council and mayor to do some…
Ashland Needs Sound Fiscal Management
The corona virus pandemic necessitates immediate revision of Ashland’s current budget because city tax revenues will be much reduced for some time.
ACES Response to Cathy Shaw – Part 1
False: …ACES has raised $4,000, 81% of which is from an out-of-state company, 4 Republicans and one NAV.
ACES Response to Cathy Shaw – Part 2
As Michelle Obama said, "when they go low we go high". Ashland Citizens for Economic Sustainability (ACES) refuses to join in the mudslinging, name calling…
This Vote is Premature!
During my 35-plus years in Ashland, I’ve looked at each proposed bond or tax in the light of benefit vs. cost and supported many.
The City Council Needs Our Help
It has become apparent that most of our city council members are out of touch with the citizens they claim to represent. They continue along the path of fiscal…
City Councilor Speaks out on City’s Reaction to Crisis and City Hall Renovation
In the Sunday, April 19 Mail Tribune, Ashland City Councilors Rich Rosenthal and Stephen Jensen urged readers to “Reject the politics of misinformation in…
Ashland Doesn’t Need a Grand New City Hall
In their April 19 opinion submission, Rich Rosenthal and Stephen Jensen miss the main point of Ashland Citizens for Economic Sustainability — a growing public…
Rosenthal and Jensen Response so Entirely Off-putting
The Ashland City Council likes to bask in civility and expects it. There are few things one can do in Ashland that councilors frown upon more than to fail to…
City Hall Renovation: Misguided at Best
As a novice yet determined environmental activist, I have had to take a crash course in city politics and the underlying problems associated with convincing…
Moran Details Actions the City Should Take
As the coronavirus strengthens its grip on Southern Oregon, most Ashland businesses, restaurants, hotels and B&Bs remain shut. A huge percentage of Ashlanders…
Ashlander Speaks out on City’s Reaction to Crisis
The financial heart of Ashland has stopped beating. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Southern Oregon University and most of our businesses are closed. COVID-19…
Ashland still doesn’t have a handle on spending
Ashlanders are generous, socially conscious, hardworking and proud of their city. However, many are being forced to move as surging taxes, utility bills,…
Tidings Guest Editorial Confronting Ashland’s Budget Crisis
Nothing has changed in Ashland over the last 10 years, yet our budget has nearly doubled.
Ashland Citizen Gets to the Root of City Financial Problems
Last week during the public forum I had to grit my teeth while a former mayor pontificated on how well the city had been run in the past from a financial…
Ashland Facing Two million in debt
Ashland Tidings Article March 24, 2019. The city of Ashland faces a $2 million deficit in its general fund for the next biennium. Financial Director Mark Welch…
TV Interview Julie Akins & Russ Silbiger on Two Million Dollar Debt
The City of Ashland is facing a projected $2 million deficit heading into the budgeting process for the next biennium. With that deficit, major cuts could be…
Tidings Letter to the Editor – Just Fix the Van
I’m not sure if it’s a trend or a habit or a philosophy, but the city is proposing a lot of expensive projects recently without presenting a basic maintenance…
Tidings Editorial – Listen to the Ad Hoc Committee
Ashland’s leaders seem to have a love-hate relationship with the committees they appoint to advise them on major decisions. On the one hand, the Citizens’…
Ashlander Discovers Lack of Fiscal Stewardship
A week ago, projections used in creating the 2017-19 Ashland city budget forecast deficits of $5.9 million for Parks and Recreation and over $10 million for…
General Budget
General Budget