Ashland has a mayor-council form of government. The mayor is elected at-large. In 2014, Debra Lewis was the first woman elected as mayor. The city's 11 wards are each represented by an elected alderperson (or councilor), elected from single-member districts. City council meetings are held on the second and last Tuesday of the month. Meetings are open to the public, although on occasion the Council may meet in closed session. One of the members, Wahsayah Whitebird, is the only member of the Communist Party USA in elected office.