What issues confronting Ashland right now are of most concern to you and why?

The issues that are of most concern to me are Ashland’s vulnerabilities. We depend on outside sources for most of our basic necessities, most directly, food and energy, i.e. gas and electricity. As gas prices go up, so does the price of food, creating insecurity. Also most of our food comes from or through California where weather, fire, and other calamities, both natural and man-made, can further add to a lack of stability in both price and availability. Natural gas and electricity rates are consistently unstable as well.
Other issues are declining opportunities for young people who wish to live, work, play, and raise families in Ashland. Ashland has always been a place for people of all ages, and a wonderful place for people to settle into a slower pace of life and raise a family. That tradition is endangered, so we must work to build an equitable town where there are ample opportunities for an array of different people.