Lorrie Kline Kaplan

City Finances

Ashland’s balance sheet is strong, and the operating gap in our General Fund is real. Both are true, and the gap is structural. We’re simply trying to do too much without the revenue streams to cover it all – firefighting and ambulance services, police, parks and recreation, and general administration. I voted for last year’sContinue reading “City Finances”

Housing

Land in Ashland is expensive, and we shouldn’t let our own processes make it worse. My priority is a permitting path that doesn’t add cost or delay to housing we’ve already zoned for. We’ve done a lot of the zoning work. Ashland’s Housing Production Strategy was the first in Oregon approved by the state. IContinue reading “Housing”

Health Care

In a recent Council meeting, I moved to reserve the full $4 million Asante paid the City for health care investments. My motion failed, and so did every alternative on the table. The question is still open, so when it comes back to council, I’ll push to set aside as much as possible for healthContinue reading “Health Care”

Wildfire Risk

We have a great plan. My priority is to move faster on it, and keep the City staff focused on what only the City can do, while facilitating efforts by community partners working at the neighborhood level. Ashland’s wildfire risk is higher than 97 percent of communities in the country. We’ve been ahead of theContinue reading “Wildfire Risk”