Ashland voters will decide in November whether to limit the City Council’s ability to raise utility fees without voter approval.
The ballot measure would require voter approval for most utility fee increases beyond inflation. It grew out of a citizen initiative launched after the council approved new fees for parks, public safety and wildfire prevention last year. The petition fell short of the required signatures because of procedural errors. The council voted 4-2 Tuesday to put a revised version on the ballot.
George Kramer, who led the petition effort, told council members they did not have to personally support the measure to give voters a chance to decide.
“You are being asked to put it on the ballot so that the voters of Ashland who will be paying these fees get a choice about whether they support it,” Kramer said.
The council chose to refer the measure to voters, which allowed it to revise the original proposal to permit fee increases tied to inflation.
Councilor Eric Hansen opposed putting it on the ballot, saying it would divide the community.
“It's going to drain staff and citizenry time that we could be fighting for real solutions to real problems," said Hanson. "This is a solution that I think doesn't require this amount of effort.”
The city manager said only three cities in Oregon — Bandon, North Bend and Reedsport — require voter approval for utility fee increases.
With Oregon limiting annual growth in taxable property values, utility fees are one of few ways the city can easily respond to higher costs for things like police and parks
Most council members who voted to put the measure on the ballot don't support it. Only Councilor Gina DuQuenne said she would vote for it in November, while Dylan Bloom said he would actively oppose it.
"I hope that it's defeated," said Bloom. "And I hope that in the meantime, this council and future councils do a better job of involving the public in the decisions that we make."
Mayor Tonya Graham said she would like the city to require a minimum of three months' notice and public outreach before deciding on future utility fee increases.
