City News

Meet the new committee of executives combing through Salem’s city budget

Nine Salem executives with experience in accounting, property management and auditing will spend the next two weeks taking a closer look at the city’s budget.

Salem’s finance committee last week unanimously approved the makeup of a new budget efficiencies committee as it prepares to make nearly $14 million in budget cuts.

The committee was suggested in December by the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce and the Home Builders Association of Marion & Polk Counties with the hopes of bringing a group of savvy local professionals to take a deeper dive into the city’s budget.

How to participate

The first budget efficiencies committee meeting starts at 12 p.m. and goes until 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29, and will be conducted virtually. Those interested in viewing the meeting online can do so on YouTube

The committee’s second meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 30. 

To testify via Zoom, or submit public comment, contact the city’s finance department by emailing [email protected], or by calling 503-588-6040 by 1 p.m. on the day of the meeting. 

The new committee includes professionals with experience working with multi million dollar organizational budgets in the private sector, in government and nonprofits. 

The nine members are: 

  • Erik Frisk, the general manager of Garmin’s Salem site, who joined the company in 2003 where he served in a number of different roles. 
  • Brian Moore, the CEO of Neighborly Ventures, a property management company, and a land use and real estate attorney with experience serving on various local Salem boards. 
  • Kathy Gordon, a tax and accounting professional with 30 years of experience with Aldrich CPAs + Advisors accounting firm who serves as a volunteer treasurer for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church of Salem. 
  • Bryce Petersen, a local business owner, real estate investor and developer who is in a leadership role with Community First Solutions
  • Michael Gay, the director of government relations and strategic communications for Salem Health who has over 20 years of experience in his field. 
  • Todd Graneto, the chief financial officer for the SAIF Corporation, who previously served as the organization’s vice president of premium audit and underwriting services.
  • Brian Johnston, the CEO and senior project manager at Dallas Glass, a commercial glass company that provides services for both residential and commercial properties, who previously worked for Pioneer Trust Bank and Knife River Corporation, a construction company. 
  • Ernesto Toskovic, a banker and the senior vice president at KeyBank in Salem who has served as an adviser for companies with revenue greater than $20 million. 
  • Ryan Dempster, a certified public accountant and the CEO and president of Willamette Valley Bank who serves on boards for local nonprofits and is also on the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce board. 

“A lot of times folks ask us why can’t we run our government like a business, and there are a lot of reasons why we can’t. So, I find it helpful to see folks who have nonprofit experience and public sector experience on here too,” said Councilor Vanessa Nordyke during the finance committee meeting. “Because we don’t sell widgets, we don’t sell products. We are a fundamentally different organization … I think this is a really great cross section of professionals.” 

Salem City Manager Keith Stahley said the nine members were selected following a “consensus conversation,” between him, Chamber CEO Tom Hoffert and Mike Erdmann, the CEO of the Home Builders Association. 

Stahley said he knows six out of the nine individuals personally, and said the members were selected based on experience with complex budgets in large organizational settings. 

All nine members were approached and agreed to serve on the committee, which will meet four times in the next two weeks, starting Wednesday. A representative from the group will then provide a report to Salem city councilors on its findings. 

In addition to the nine community members serving on the committee, Stahley, Salem Chief Financial Officer Josh Eggleston, and Budget Manager Kali Leinenbach will be present in the meetings which will be open to the public. 

The general consensus among finance committee members was that the new group is equipped to bring a diversity of perspectives to the table. 

Mayor Julie Hoy said she also feels good about the diversity of backgrounds among the group’s members. 

“I also feel that those other folks broaden the spectrum of representation and sort of make sure that we are including a diverse group of eyes,” Hoy said. 

City Councilor Micki Varney, who is not on the finance committee, brought forward the motion to establish the committee on Jan. 13. She said she did so in part so the committee’s meetings would be public, something that might not have been the case if the committee was convened by the city manager without council authorization. 

She said she still has some questions about how the selection process for the committee played out and what the committee will actually do.

Varney said that other than more staff time, the city really has nothing to lose and she expects the committee’s findings should only help as the city tackles the budget crisis. 

“Maybe we will get the golden seal of approval,” Varney told Salem Reporter. “If that is what we need to do to build trust with the community, if that is what they think will work, more power to them.” 

Contact reporter Joe Siess: [email protected] or 503-335-7790.


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Joe Siess is a reporter for Salem Reporter. Joe joined Salem Reporter in 2024 and primarily covers city and county government but loves surprises. Joe previously reported for the Redmond Spokesman, the Bulletin in Bend, Klamath Falls Herald and News and the Malheur Enterprise. He was born in Independence, MO, where the Oregon Trail officially starts, and grew up in the Kansas City area.