City of Ashland, Oregon / Electric
Electric
Ashland Municipal Electric Utility
Ashland has owned the Municipal Electric Utility since 1909. It is the second oldest Municipal Utility in Oregon. With Ashland’s publicly owned utility, citizens control the destiny of the utility though it’s elected officials. This assures local control and accountability.
It is also important to note that approximately one-third of land within the City of Ashland is property tax exempt including Southern Oregon University, the Ashland School District, churches, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, fraternal organizations and other non-profit groups and governmental institutions. These organizations do not pay property taxes for services like police, fire, roads, etc. All tax exempt properties that use electricity purchased from the City of Ashland contribute to Ashland’s general fund through the electric utility user’s tax, and therefore help to cover the cost of operating city government.
The City of Ashland, with its diverse community prides itself on the high quality and variety of government service it provides to its citizens. For a century, Ashland’s city-owned electric utility has provided quality and reliable electric service for its customers, while at the same time maintaining competitive prices. A municipal utility like Ashland is able to respond quickly to emergencies, maintain close contact with its customers, provide state of the art energy efficiency and renewable energy programs and maintain local access to the elected officials whom make the decisions affecting their citizens. Local control of the utility also means the City maintains its own inventory of parts and equipment. Preventative maintenance programs ensure citizens that their long-term investment is protected and that electric rates remain stable and competitive.
The advantages of municipal ownership are numerous. Yet challenges to keep rates competitive remain. With the support and involvement from citizens, the City Council continues to recognize the importance of the City’s electric utility. From humble beginnings, the utility has grown and changed to meet the needs of Ashland citizens. The decision to operate its own electric utility by citizens a century ago is in keeping with the Ashland tradition of self-sufficiency and local control of its destiny.
|
|
