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“What kind of city government do YOU want?
By John Enders
Submitted: January 12, 2005
Seldom do residents of a city have the opportunity to answer the question, “What kind of
city government do we want?” Ashlanders have that chance. In a public forum to be held
from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 20, in the Rogue River Room at SOU,
residents will gather to discuss that question. Please join us!
Do you want a mayor who has real political power, with a vote and/or a veto? Or do you
want a figurehead mayor who leads the city council discussions but doesn’t vote? Or
something in between? Do you like having an independently elected Parks Commission?
Or do you think Parks should be a department of the city? Or a separate taxing district?
Should the city administrator/manager hire and fire department heads, or the mayor and
the council? And should the city recorder and municipal judge be elected, or should they
be appointed? And if so, by whom? The mayor? The council? Should the Ashland City
Band be authorized by the city charter, or just by ordinance? Or neither? Should Ashland
continue to have six city councilors? Should councilors be elected at-large or by ward?
Those are some of the questions that the Ashland Charter Review Committee, appointed
last year by the mayor, have been grappling with for the past six months. Committee
members, volunteers from the community who have no direct connection to the city, have
spent a good deal of time looking at the existing 1970 city charter. We have determined
that there are parts of the charter that are clearly antiquated, either outdated or made
obsolete by various state laws. We also have identified at least a dozen issues that need
further study, such as the powers of the mayor, council and administrator/manager, the
Parks commission issue, etc. We have not made decisions regarding those issues, but
have been fleshing out the pros and cons of various optional changes. We want your help
and your input.
Roundtable discussions will be held on all those issues at the Jan. 20 forum. Feedback
from citizens will then come back to the committee for our consideration. Afterward, we
will begin substantive debate on the issues, as well as continue to solicit input and
feedback from the community. If an additional public meeting is deemed necessary we
will hold one. The committee wants and needs your input. Come to the forum on
Thursday, Jan. 20 at SOU.
For more background information, visit the city’s website and go to the links dealing with
the charter review process. There is a wealth of information online. If that’s not available
to you, contact city hall and you can get it sent to you.
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We look forward to seeing you on the 20! Come help Ashland build its future.
John Enders is chair of the Ashland Charter Review Committee