“We Are Third”

George Kramer, Ashland Resident — November 11, 2025

I’ve been thinking a lot about how the City of Ashland prioritizes its spending lately. Or doesn’t. In a twisted version of the famous movie title, it occurs to me that we, the citizens, the residents, the ratepayers, are third in the minds of too many of our leaders.

The City of Ashland is first. The Mayor, and certainly some of the council (Hansen, for example) put the needs and wants of the City government at the top of the page.

The Staff is second. While often confused with the city (meaning the people) the staff’s needs are clearly a priority for some on the city council, whether that is increased salary (to remain ‘competitive’), deluxe benefits (car allowance, anyone?) or their working conditions, where asking them to share meeting spaces, or not have dedicated parking spots, or to have to work in a quirky historic building, are just a bridge to far.

Staff, too many of them, put their own needs first, whether it’s for sparkling new projects that may or may not be affordable (pump park? New trails? Hideous median strips?), damn the costs. Many appear to be building their resumes for the next job. This isn’t all that surprising, really, since something like 70% of City of Ashland staff don’t live in Ashland or pay any of the costs they recommend. That includes, in addition to City Manager Cotta, the heads of multiple departments (Parks, Electric, Public Works, Fire) and more. That a majority of council fails to see staff’s lack of city residency as a problem (or even as evidence of one) is troubling.

And so, we, the people who live here, work here if we are lucky, those that retired here without equity and stock options from somewhere else, are third. The fiscal impact of City decisions on us is waved off as the “cost” of living in a great community, a small price to pay for such great service and amenities.

The Mayor and others like to point out that Oregon’s tax structure is screwy and inhibits the city keeping up with costs. True. PERS is a burden and the city must find more revenue just to keep existing services. True. The message is Ashland is “expensive.” Costs are high everywhere. Deal with it.

What the Mayor, and too many on council forget is that we, the folks they repeatedly ask to pay more and more, live in the same world as the City of Ashland and its valued staff members. Rent and housing is through the roof and rising. Health care costs more and we don’t have the government to pay for it. Food costs more and nobody is giving most of us a cost of living raise. Cars, clothes, emergencies all cost us more, too, and jobs are hard to come by. Most don’t pay a living wage.

Having low-maintenance, ugly median strips or contented staff, each with a private meeting room, isn’t really all that comforting when the cost of eggs has doubled.

Read the short ballot measure and Q&A HERE. 

To sign the petition, go to ashlandcharter.info

This post first appeared on November 9, 2025 in the Facebook Ashland City Issues Group.

Reprinted with permission from the author.