News Flash

In our latest e-News, check out details about Outdoor Burning, the latest on City Hall and more!

City Hall administrative staff have temporarily vacated the building following findings from a January Commercial Building Code inspection report  and the Fire Marshal’s General Fire Inspection (PDF) conducted this week. While the facility had previously been closed to the public, except for limited City Manager and Council office hours, it has now been deemed unsafe for employee occupancy until an evaluation can be completed by a licensed structural engineer.

As of February 17, 2026, administrative staff are working remotely while the City’s Leadership Team identifies temporary office locations. 

City Manager and Council office hours have been canceled this week. Updated location information will be posted on the City website as it becomes available. 

To learn more about City Hall and to stay up-to-date, visit ashlandoregon.gov/CityHall. We are Better Together! 

#end

Learn about City Hall’s history, costs, building conditions & legal constraints, then take the survey and share your vision to help shape our future together. This and more in the latest edition.

Each year the Oregon Mayors Association (OMA) hosts the, “If I were Mayor…” student contest. The contest takes place on a local and state level. Ashland Mayor, Tonya Graham, is encouraging Ashland’s youth to apply! 

“This contest offers students in the 4th through 12th grades the chance to learn more about civic engagement and use their voice in local government,” stated Mayor Graham. “Last year local fifth-grader, Nadia McGrady from Bellview Elementary, received second place in the statewide entries.” (Read about it in Ashland.news.) 

The contest is divided into three categories: 

• Elementary School (grade 4-5) - Poster Contest (Photo of poster can be PNG, JPEG, or PDF files)
• Middle School (grade 6-8) - Essay Contest (Word, PDF, PowerPoint or online essay format)
• High School (grades 9-12) - Digital Media Presentations (Videos only, MP4 or online video format)

The Ashland City Council will assist Mayor Graham in selecting one winner from each category. All contestants will be recognized for their entries and the winners will be presented with awards at a City Council meeting. The deadline to apply is Friday, March 13, 2026. 

The local winning entries will be submitted to the state contest for a chance to win a cash prize and recognition. First place statewide winning students in each of the three categories will win $500, second and third place winning students win $300 and $100 respectively. 

Visit ashlandoregon.gov/OMAcontest to learn how and where to send your entries, and view examples. “We are better together!” 

#end

As part of Ashland City Council’s Economic Development vision, the City has relaunched our Event Partnership Grant program to help support local events that help boost overnight travel, increase spending at local businesses and promote Ashland as a premier tourist destination. Last year, we were able to support 22 events with $100,000 in grants. This fiscal year, we have $150,000 to award.

If you know of any event organizers or have your own communication channels, please point folks to our website to apply ashlandoregon.gov/EconomicDevelopmentGrants.

#end 

On July 22, 2025, Ashland Mayor Tonya Graham joined the Jefferson Exchange for a wide-ranging conversation about the City, her vision, ideas and insights into her approach and style of leadership. 

City Councilors are available to meet with their constituents. In addition to impromptu meetings, some hold regular meetings or office hours, currently hosted at The Grove in Ashland.

1. Councilor Jeff Dahle: 3rd Monday of each month from 2 to 3:30 p.m.
2. Councilor Bob Kaplan: 1st Monday of each month from 1 to 2:30 p.m.
3. Councilor Gina DuQuenne: 1st Thursday of each month from Noon to 1:30 p.m.

At this time, office hours for City Manager Sabrina Cotta is by appointment only. Please email the City Manager's Office  to make an appointment. 

These office hours provide an additional opportunity for residents to voice concerns, ask questions and engage with their City Councilors or the City Manager on important issues. The Grove is located at 1195 East Main Street. 

Office hours exclude holidays. 

Questions or Comments:

• Email the City Manager's Office 
• Contact City Council

The OCCMA (Oregon City/County Management Association) offers tools to help residents, community organizations and elected officials better understand local government. 

Did you know Ashland has a Council-Manager form of governance? 

OCCMA has created a Civic Education Toolkit --- Check it out today to learn more about your city government. “We are Better Together!”

Want to learn even more about the City of Ashland? Check out our "BETTER TOGETHER: The Work of the City of Ashland," series as presented to OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute).