On the Agenda: Salem City Council talks plan to find more revenue to address deficit

Whitney Woodworth, Salem Statesman Journal
Updated ·2 min read
City of Salem staff attend a city council meeting Sept. 11, 2023, at Salem Civic Center.
City of Salem staff attend a city council meeting Sept. 11, 2023, at Salem Civic Center.

Salem City Council will discuss the next steps for forming a Revenue Task Force to address the budget shortfall during Monday's meeting.

Council voted to form the task force during its Nov. 27 meeting. Leaders sought to create the group after the proposed employee-paid payroll tax was resoundingly defeated during the November special election.

The payroll tax was set to generate $27.9 million annually for police, fire, and homelessness services. Now, the city is looking to both amend the budget to address the looming deficit and create a task force to consider alternative forms of revenue, such as a public safety levy or fee increase.

After the vote to form the task force, councilors directed staff to bring back information and an opportunity to provide direction at their next meeting on the task force charter, membership selection process and timeline.

Other agenda items include:

  • A proclamation declaring Dec. 7 Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

  • A proclamation declaring Dec. 10, the 75th anniversary of the United Nations adopting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as Human Rights Day.

  • A vote on whether to dedicate multiple tracts as right-of-way for street improvements in west, southeast and northeast Salem.

  • A vote on whether to adopt a resolution updating the city's Floodplain Management Plan.

  • A vote on whether to authorize the city manager to execute two grant agreements — one to receive $1.85 million in state grants and the other to pass the funds to the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency for renovations at the ARCHES Inn and the Wallace Early Learning Center.

  • A public hearing on the annexation of a .78-acre territory on the 500 block of Hile Lane NE.

How to participate in the meeting

The meeting is at 6 p.m. It will be held in person in the City Council Chambers at the Salem Civic Center, 555 Liberty St. SE, and also can be watched on Comcast Cable CCTV Channel 21 or on the Salem YouTube channel in English/American Sign Language and Spanish.

Those wishing to comment in person can sign up on the rosters at the chamber entrance before the start of the meeting.

Written public comments on agenda items can be emailed by 5 p.m. Monday to cityrecorder@cityofsalem.net. Or preregister between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday at cityofsalem.net/Pages/Public-Comment-at-Salem-City-Council-Meeting.aspx to speak during the meeting via Zoom.

For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-910-6616 or follow on Twitter at @wmwoodworth

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Salem council talks plan to find more revenue to address deficit