Safe Salem News Today

Salem voters will make a decision on whether to approve a payroll tax to help bridge the gap city officials have in their budget.

Councilor Julie Hoy will bring forth a motion to repeal the employee-paid payroll tax during Monday's Salem City Council meeting.

A referendum on Salem, Oregon's payroll tax will be on the November 2023 Special Election ballot after nearly 13,000 people signed a petition. Salem Mayor Chris Hoy warns that without the tax, city services will be "drastically" reduced.

A referendum petition to send the recently passed Salem payroll tax to voters garnered enough signatures to get on the November ballot.

The petitioner working to refer a payroll tax passed by Salem City Council to voters submitted 10,262 signatures to the city Tuesday.

Salem City Council is set to hear an information report Monday on the recently submitted referendum petition on the Safe Salem Employee Payroll Tax.

The Oregon Business & Industry, a statewide chamber of commerce and trade association, launched an effort on Friday to refer Salem's recently adopted payroll tax to voters.

The city of Salem is considering asking employees in the city to help cover the expense of police, fire, and other emergency services with a payroll tax that would cost each person hundreds to thousands of dollars every year.