In tense meeting with Cherriots, business leaders express frustration, concern over proposed payroll tax

Dozens of business leaders packed into a room Thursday morning to question Cherriots leaders about their proposed tax on businesses.

The forum was a chance for Salem’s mass transit agency to present information on the tax and for business owners to voice their thoughts.

The Salem Area Mass Transit District, known as Cherriots, is proposing to tax Salem and Keizer businesses starting in January, using authority provided by legislators through a 2018 state law. The…