New and Updated Fees Help Maintain Essential Services and Support Council Priorities
At the June 3, 2025, Regular Business Meeting, the Ashland City Council adopted the $374 million 2025–2027 Biennium Budget—A meaningful step in maintaining the City’s ability to adapt, protect and serve the community. This budget directly reflects the Council’s top priorities – Livability, Risk Reduction, Economic Development and Efficient & Effective Government. The priorities were established during the March 1, 2025, Council retreat. It is crafted with both financial responsibility and community wellbeing in mind, making strategic investments to maintain essential services and improve quality of life in Ashland during uncertain economic times.
What’s Changing on Your Utility Bill – Beginning July 1, 2025
To continue delivering high-quality public services in a sustainable and equitable way, Ashland residents will see updates to their monthly utility bills starting July 1, 2025. These modest changes help ensure stable funding for essential community priorities, including public safety, wildfire prevention and parks.
Here’s a quick look at what’s changing:
- Public Safety Fee – Increasing from $1.50 to $5.00 per electric meter
- Wildfire Risk Reduction Fee – Increasing from $3.00 to $7.00 on standard ¾-inch water meters
- New Parks Fee – $5.00 per electric meter added to support maintenance and improvements in Ashland’s beloved parks and green spaces
These fees are not new taxes—they are dedicated funding tools designed to protect core services and ensure long-term sustainability in key areas that affect every Ashland resident.
Why These Fees Matter
Public Safety: Reliable Emergency Services
Ashland’s growing needs and changing risks require a dependable source of funding for police, fire and emergency preparedness. The increase in the Public Safety Fee will help maintain emergency response times, ensure adequate staffing, and support investments in training, equipment and disaster planning.
This fee helps ensure that the people who respond when we need them most – our firefighters, police officers and emergency personnel, can continue serving the community effectively.
Wildfire Risk Reduction: Protecting People and Property
The Wildfire Risk Reduction Fee, formerly known as the Ashland Forest Resiliency (AFR) fee, is essential for continuing proactive work to reduce fire danger in our forests and neighborhoods. These funds support vegetation management, defensible space creation, community education and forest restoration efforts – all aimed at preventing the kind of catastrophic wildfires that have impacted nearby communities.
In the face of climate change and growing wildfire threats, this fee provides long-term, independent funding that ensures the City doesn’t have to wait for state or federal grants to protect our homes and environment.
Parks Fee: Investing in Ashland’s Identity and Wellbeing
New this year, is the Parks Fee, a $5.00 monthly charge that will directly support maintenance and improvements in the parks and open spaces that define Ashland’s character and quality of life. From Lithia Park’s 100 acres of natural beauty to the 53 miles of trails woven throughout the community, Ashland’s parks support tourism, property values, physical health and social connection. They’re also critical for economic development – drawing visitors and supporting local businesses through events like the Fourth of July Run or the Summer Sounds concert series.
This fee will help maintain restrooms and playgrounds, preserve trails and ensure safe, welcoming green spaces for everyone to enjoy.
Council Priorities in Action
The updated budget and fee structure are directly aligned with the Ashland City Council’s 2025–2027 priorities:
- Livability, including a focus on Community character and community amenities, reliable utility services, progressiveness in rate structures and support for attainable housing;
- Risk Reduction, including Wildfire risk reduction and CEAP (Climate Energy Action Plan) execution;
- Economic Development, including development of eco-tourism related accomplishments like trails, and ensuring City processes such as planning are supportive of attracting new business and supporting those already here;
- Efficient and Effective Government, including equity of access, customer focus, transparent and frequent communication, strong regional partnerships, use of technology, execution of maintaining City facilities and public infrastructure.
Moving Forward Together
This budget positions Ashland to continue delivering exceptional public services while preparing for future challenges. It reflects a community that values safety, sustainability and shared public spaces – and is willing to invest in those values for the benefit of all.
We appreciate your continued support as we work to make Ashland safer, greener and more vibrant for generations to come. We are Better Together!
For more details about your utility bill and what the fees support, visit ashlandoregon.gov/UtilityRatesOtherFees.
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