What to know as Salem City Council decides on tax levy to pay for library, parks
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Salem city councilors will decide Monday how much of a property tax increase they’ll seek from voters to help pay for the library, parks and Center 50+ as a way to avoid sweeping cuts to services across city departments.
Councilors will discuss two options Monday night that would cost an average Salem homeowner about $230 or $250 per year.
They could also decide not to put a measure on the May ballot, though in previous discussions a majority of councilors have supported asking voters for more money.
The two five-year options that city councilors will consider Monday are levies at a rate of $1.09 or $.98 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, according to a staff report from the city’s Chief Financial Officer Josh Eggleston.
Voters would then decide on May 20 whether to approve the increase, which would help the city address its $14 million budget deficit.
If the levy isn’t approved, possible cuts to Salem services include laying off police officers, cutting library hours, closing splash pads and closing a fire station, among others.
Here’s what to know about the options and next steps.
How to participate
The meeting starts at 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 10, and will be both in-person at the council chambers, 555 Liberty St. S.E., and available to watch online. Members of the public can submit a comment for any item on the council agenda.
To comment remotely, sign up on the city website between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Monday The meeting will be livestreamed on the YouTube in English and Spanish.
For written comments, email [email protected] before 5 p.m. on Monday, or submit on paper to the city recorder’s office at the Civic Center, 555 Liberty St. S.E., Room 225. Include a statement indicating the comment is for the public record.
The city budget committee can be reached at [email protected], or 503-588-6040. More information about the budget committee can be found here.
Levy option 1 – restored library hours, keeps other services
Tax rate: $.98 per $1,000 of assessed property value
Annual cost for average Salem home: About $229
Amount it would raise: $14 million in 2026
New city services: Increase library hours from 38 hours a week to 48 hours a week at the main branch and from 10 hours a week to 20 hours a week at the West Salem branch.
The cheaper of the two levy options would restore service hours to the Salem Public Library, which closed on Sundays and slashed evening and West Salem branch hours a year ago.
The money would pay for three new full-time library assistants and current library employees who might otherwise be cut from the city budget.
Money would also support parks maintenance, recreation services, and Center 50+.
City staff estimate current service hours at the library will cost about $5 million to sustain in 2026, while the increased hours are estimated to cost roughly $300,000 more. Parks maintenance is expected to cost nearly $7 million in 2026, and recreation, nearly $500,000.
This option would maintain staffing levels for park maintenance at 45 full-time employees, five full-time employees for recreation services, and nine full-time employees at Center 50+.
Levy option 2 – more library hours, keeps other services
Tax rate: $1.09 per $1,000 of assessed property value
Annual cost for average Salem home: About $250
Amount it would raise: $15.5 million in 2026
New city services: Increase library hours from 38 hours a week to 53 hours a week at the main branch and from 10 hours a week to 25 hours a week at the West Salem branch. This option will also allow for an outreach team which would focus on providing “mobile” library programming to underserved areas in Salem.
The more expensive levy would allow the city to hire eight full-time library assistants. That would allow for more library hours than Salem had before the 2024 budget cuts.
The option would allow an outreach team to be formed which would focus on bringing “mobile” library programming to underserved areas in Salem.
City staff estimated that the restored library hours and the new outreach team under this option would cost roughly $900,000.
This option would also maintain current staffing levels for parks maintenance, recreation services, and Center 50+.
What comes next
Feb. 24: Salem city councilors expected to vote on whether or not to place one of the two levy options on the May 2025 ballot.
April 16: City Manager Keith Stahley will present a balanced budget to city council and the city budget committee. That budget will likely include deep cuts that will go into effect if voters reject the levy.
May 7: Budget committee scheduled to hold its final meeting discussing Stahley’s proposed budget.
May 20: If city councilors vote to place the levy on the 2025 ballot, voters will have the chance to vote for or against the levy.
Prior to July 1: Salem city councilors are required to adopt a balanced budget.
City survey shows support for library, parks and Center 50+
According to a new city survey conducted between October 2024 and January 2025, an overwhelming majority of respondents, 80%, said community services like the library, Center 50+ and parks are most important to them.
The runner ups included public works such as drinking water, sewer, streets, paths and sidewalks; followed by the fire department and then police.
Survey results were included in the council packet. The 362 people who responded were those who chose to take the survey, and are not a random or representative sample of Salem’s population or likely voters. None responded to a Spanish-language survey.
Seven in 10 respondents indicated they understood the city’s budgetary challenges very or extremely well.
Out of those who participated in the survey, 93% were Salem residents, 45% worked in Salem and 24% did business in Salem.
The survey did not ask about support for a levy. A city poll last fall of likely voters found most residents wanted more city services, but were unwilling to pay more in taxes to support them.
When it comes to how respondents want to see the city balance the budget, the most common suggestions were reducing police funding and reallocating police budget, increasing public involvement and transparency on how funds are spent, and reducing administrative costs by making government more efficient.
When it came to how to fund services, the most common suggestions from 254 respondents was to increase taxes on higher earners, charge more fees for services, and to seek out alternative funding sources.
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.
