Four current and former Salem policymakers have formed a campaign in favor of the city of Salem’s payroll tax, which is set to go before voters in November.
The “Save Salem Campaign,” which the group announced Wednesday, is led by Salem City Council President Virginia Stapleton, Planning Commissioner Michael Slater, current Salem Citizen Budget Committee vice-chair Dr. Irvin Brown, and Paul Tigan whose budget committee term expired in June.
On July 10, the city council approved a 0.814% tax on wages earned in the city above minimum wage without prior voter approval. It was passed with a 5-4 vote, with Stapleton among its supporters.
That same week, Oregon Business & Industry, a statewide business group, launched a petition to put the payroll tax before voters in November. It met the threshold for 3,986 verified signatures on Aug. 11.
“This is a grassroots campaign about what’s at stake if we as a community fail to address the nearly $30 million dollar shortfall coming within the next few years,” Stapleton said in a Wednesday press release.
Now that the tax is heading to the ballot, state law bars city of Salem staff or city funds from being used to campaign for the tax, leaving the effort to volunteers and elected officials.
The group plans to launch a website at savesalem.org in the next few days, Stapleton said in an email to Salem Reporter. The group will also be setting up Facebook and Instagram pages, and a calendar of in-person events and volunteer...
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