A Few Minutes with the Mayor – October 2026

FALL HAS FINALLY ARRIVED in the Rogue Valley. The season’s beautiful colors, showing off in all their glory, mark a welcome change for the inhabitants of our little village. It’s time for sitting in front of a fire with a good book while waiting for something delicious and warming to cook in the kitchen. Halloween and the holiday season are right around the corner, and Jacksonville will be lively and busy with plenty of activities to enjoy.

This month also brings the opportunity to exercise our right, as Americans, to vote in the upcoming election. We are lucky in Jacksonville to have a non-partisan City Council and not have to choose candidates based on City Wards or other dividing lines. A small city like ours needs and deserves candidates who represent the whole town and our citizens. Three talented, outstanding citizens are running unopposed on the ballot this November for a seat on the Jacksonville City Council. Two candidates, running for re-election, are Andy Hellenthal and Talon Reed. The third candidate is Beth Lindsay. Andy and Talon are experienced, capable Councilors who have shown they are the right people to serve again. Beth has put in the time getting to know our city through her service on the TLT Committee, the Citizen’s Advisory Committee, and the Citizen’s Advisory Committee on Urban Growth. I have worked personally with all three candidates, and I am proud to endorse all three for election. Please see next page for the article featuring our candidates and their views.

As citizens, we have the right and duty to vote in an election, to decide who governs us. You may think your vote does not matter; however, it does, even when candidates run unopposed. When you exercise this privilege, you set the bar for what and who you believe in. You support your city and the people who put their beliefs on the line, who volunteer their time and expertise for all of us. Even in a small city, the Mayor and City Councilors are not a “rubber stamp” position. We call upon all your elected officials to have a strong working knowledge of the Jacksonville Municipal Code and our laws. We ask everyone to serve in several capacities: first, in their elected position; and in at least one position as Liaison to a city commission or committee. We also ask them to take on special projects that can run for the length of their term. It takes dedication and is more work than you might imagine. I have been truly lucky to serve with such a high caliber of City Councilors in Jacksonville. They are all talented, dedicated, and intelligent. They bring all that to the table and show their commitment in the time they spend preparing for meetings, completing projects, and making decisions on behalf of the city. Please join me in supporting our candidates, and the place we call home, by voting in the November election.

Even though this fall promises to be busy, I’m looking forward to enjoying all the season will bring. If you are looking for activities to keep you busy, I recommend checking what is happening locally. The Jacksonville Community Center, the Jacksonville Library, and Rebel Heart Books all have many interesting programs to attend. Jacksonville Boosters and the Jacksonville Garden Club are back in session too, with informative meetings monthly. Happy Fall to you all…until next month.