CORRECTION: Traffic Alert: Street Closure Planned For One-Day Event Near Capitol Mall On Thursday, May 1 -04/24/25

• Road closures and lane restrictions are expected surrounding the Capitol Mall.
• Drivers should use extra caution in response to increased pedestrian traffic in the area.
• The permitted event in the public right-of-way is scheduled from 1 – 2:30 p.m. May 1.

Salem, Ore. — The City of Salem is alerting the public about street closures related to a planned one-day event May 1 near the Oregon State Capitol Mall. Permitted street closures for the event will include portions of State Street NE and Center Street NE between Cottage Street NE and 12th Street NE, and Church Street NE between Center and State streets. The closures will be in effect from 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
 

Drivers should expect increased pedestrian traffic and some delays. Temporary signage indicating road closures and lane restrictions will be in place. Drivers are asked to plan accordingly and seek alternate routes during the listed event times. Please drive safely and watch for an increase in pedestrians in the area.

Closure Details

• Date: Thursday, May 1, 2025
• Time: 1 – 2:30 p.m.
• Affected Streets: Center Street NE, Chemeketa Street NE, Court Street NE, State Street NE, Cottage Street NE, Capitol Street NE, Church Street NE, 12th Street NE, and Waverly Street NE, all in the vicinity of the Oregon State Capitol and Capitol Mall
• Details: Full or partial street closures will be in effect in the area bordered by Center, Cottage, State, Waverly, and Capitol streets northeast; this will accommodate the permitted activities and ensure the safety of all participants and visitors
   

The City of Salem appreciates your cooperation and patience during this event and is committed to ensuring the safety and accessibility for all residents and visitors.

If you have comments or questions, please contact the Public Works Department’s Public Information Office at jproberts@cityofsalem.net or 503-588-6211 ext. 7630.

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What’s Next For The City Of Salem Budget? -04/18/25

• Comment on Capital Improvement Plan at April 23 meeting
• Hear report on efficiency and effectiveness on April 21

Salem, Ore. – On April 16, the City of Salem Budget Committee started its discussion of the Interim City Manager's proposed budget for the 2026 Fiscal Year. The discussion focused on plans to address a $13.8 million budget shortfall.

In the three stories below, we will recap the last budget meeting and preview two upcoming meetings that are important to the budget process:

1. Monday, April 21, 6 p.m. - Work session on Efficiency and Effectiveness measures aimed at making the most of our resources.
2. Wednesday, April 23, 6 p.m. - Budget Committee meeting where the budget conversation continues

All of these meetings will be available for viewing on YouTube.
 

April 16 Budget Committee: Community Services Face Deep Cuts

At the April 16 Budget Committee meeting, the focus was on the big impact of potential cuts to Salem’s community services, including the Salem Public Library, parks, recreation programs and Center 50+, among others.

“This is an incredibly difficult moment for our community, staff and everyone here tonight,” said Interim City Manager Krishna Namburi. “Every reduction reflects people, programs, unmet service needs and the values we deeply care about. These are not the choices we wanted to make, but this is the reality in front of us.”

The cuts stem from a $13.8 million shortfall projected for Fiscal Year 2026 Budget. As required by state law, the Interim City Manager proposed a balanced budget.

Recent cost-saving measures and one-time revenues reduced the gap and saved 41 full-time-equivalent (FTE) jobs. However, the Proposed Budget still included significant reductions and could result in the loss of 51 additional FTE positions; 37 of these positions are filled and represent people and their livelihoods.

The cuts identified to balance the budget were made based on data gathered from the 2024 Revenue Task Force, polls and surveys that consistently ranked public safety as the community’s top priority.

The proposed budget does not account for the possibility of revenues from a local option levy on the May 20 special election ballot. If the levy passes, property tax revenue will be dedicated to preserving these services. If it fails, services will not continue at current levels of service.

Community members at the meeting shared how these services have positively impacted their lives and expressed frustration over the potential cuts. Library advocates also questioned the viability of deep cuts in staffing and hours.

Budget Committee members also raised questions on topics, including the what Library schedule would be like with 20 hours per week and the impact of a nearly 30% cut to the parks and recreation budget, which would end most City-sponsored recreation programs and reduce park maintenance.  The City will provide responses to some of these questions at the April 23 Budget Committee meeting.
 

Council Work Session Focuses on Efficiency and Effectiveness

The Salem City Council will hold a work session on Monday, April 21, at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers to hear a report on performance auditing. The City Council’s Finance Committee regularly evaluates priorities for the City’s performance auditing program and provides periodic updates to the full Council. In September 2024, the committee identified key focus areas, including:

• Savings in the General Fund
• Efficiencies and cost savings by program budget and employee count
• Potential enterprise-wide impacts
• Alignment with the City’s strategic goals and Council priorities
• Negative impacts on other programs or services
• Legal mandates

For more details, visit the City’s Efficiency and Effectiveness Measures webpage.
 

Comment on the Capital Improvement Plan at April 23 Budget Committee Meeting

The Wednesday, April 23, Budget Committee meeting will start at 6 p.m. in Counciil Chambers The meeting will provide a chance to comment during a public hearing on the Fiscal Year 2026-2030 Capital Improvement Plan.

The Capital Improvement Plan is a five-year forecast that identifies major (capital) projects requiring the use of public funds over and above routine annual operating expenses.

A capital project creates, improves, replaces, repairs or permanently adds to City assets including land, site improvements, parks, buildings, streets, bike paths, bridges, utility improvements, major equipment, computer hardware and communication systems purchases.

The Capital Improvement Fund document and resources online can provide information about upcoming projects.
 
The Budget Committee will also review Strong and Diverse Economy, Urban Renewal Agency, Safe Reliable and Efficient Infrastructure result areas.
 
The Budget Committee will resume its work on April 30 and May 7.  

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Salem Celebrates Arbor Day With Big Minto-Brown Tree-Planting April 25 -04/14/25

• Tree planting at the park is a condition of development for the bond-funded parking lot upgrades
• Trees provide a variety of economic, environmental, and social benefits

Salem, Ore. – For Arbor Day, the City of Salem is inviting the public to join in a tree-planting extravaganza at Minto-Brown Island Park on Friday, April 25, 2025.
 

We are hoping to recruit as many as 50 to 100 volunteers to help with the project, which will be from 9 a.m. to noon. Let us know online that you’re coming so we know how many people to prepare for or sign in at the Parking Lot 3 picnic shelter meeting spot. Trees and materials for the event are funded through the voter-approved Safety and Livability Bond. The trees are part of development standards for Minto-Brown’s parking lot upgrades.
 

A presentation and display about 2025 bond projects is planned at the beginning of the event.
 

Trees, the canopy formed by their branches and leaves, and the network of roots below the soil form an essential part of our community. They make Salem more livable and more beautiful. And they are an essential part of our city’s natural infrastructure (along with our streams, wetlands, meadows, soils, natural areas), providing a variety of economic, environmental and social benefits.
 

The first Arbor Day in the world was in 1805 in the small community of Villanueva de la Sierra, Spain, to encourage individuals and groups to plant trees. The first Arbor Day in the United was in Nebraska in 1872. An estimated one million trees were planted that month in Nebraska. Since 2020, Oregon has celebrated April as Arbor Month.
 

Here in Salem, we work year-round to enhance and manage the city’s tree canopy through the following programs:

• We are a charter member of Tree City USA in our 50th year of membership. This coming fall, Salem will celebrate our 50-year anniversary as a Tree City.
• We have developed a street tree inventory to document and track tree canopy throughout Salem. 
• We have focused tree planting efforts, in partnership with Friends of Trees, to increase tree canopy in parks, along streets and within riparian areas.
• We have also signed on as a founding member of Cities4Forests, a newer initiative focused on the value and benefit of trees in cities and forests across the globe.

Read more about City tree programs, guidelines and ordinances on Salem’s website here:

• Apply to Plant, Remove, Treat, or Prune Street Trees
• Can You Remove Trees on Your Property
• Community Forestry Strategic Plan
• How Trees Benefit Our Community
• Know When to Prune and When to Replace Your Tree
• Plant Trees to Improve Salem Streams

City Of Salem Proposes FY 2026 Budget Amid Structural Deficit, Announces Service Reductions And Path Forward -04/09/25

Salem, OR – The City of Salem has released its Proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Budget, addressing a $13.8 million gap in the General Fund through a combination of staffing reductions, one-time revenues, and cost-saving measures. The Interim City Manager’s proposed budget will be reviewed by the City of Salem’s Budget Committee beginning on April 16, 2025.
 

The City’s $764.2 million proposed budget for 2026 covers the period from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, and includes estimates of revenue and costs of services and capital projects. The Proposed FY 2026 Budget shows significant position reductions impacting both staffing and service levels, including cuts to parks maintenance, Center 50+ outreach programs, recreation programs, and operating hours at the Salem Public Library. Reductions in positions that support Community Planning and Development, Community Services, and City business operations—such as Finance, Legal and Enterprise Services – are also included.
 

“As Interim City Manager, my top priority is to work toward long-term financial stability for the City while maintaining essential services for the Salem community,” said Interim City Manager Krishna Namburi. “Through temporary cost-saving measures and one-time revenues, we were able to preserve 41 FTE positions and some of the essential services they support. However, despite our best efforts, we are unable to maintain the services the community expects and deserves. Our budget constraints will result in the loss of 51.4 staff positions. This is a significant loss for this organization and our community, and I share in the sadness of seeing these impacts on our colleagues and our community. Our thoughts are with the employees directly impacted, and we are committed to supporting them through this difficult transition.”
 

Impacts to Services and Staffing. To comply with Oregon State law requiring a balanced budget by aligning anticipated revenues with projected expenditures, the City has proposed difficult but necessary reductions, including:

• More than half of Salem Public Library’s staff positions,
• Close to 30% of the City staff who support parks maintenance and recreation programs,
• Two part-time staff at Center 50+,
• Community Services Administration, including the elimination of the Deputy City Manager position
• Elimination of some vacant positions in Finance, Enterprise Services, Community Planning and Development, and a filled part-time position in Legal.

Community-Led Efficiency Recommendations. Two advisory committees of Salem residents and business leaders have helped guide the City’s response to its structural deficit. Earlier this year, the Forecast Review Team’s recommendations led to a $3.9 million reduction in the projected FY 2026 deficit. Additionally, a City Efficiency Committee found no inordinate waste in the General Fund and recommended increasing intergovernmental collaboration, exploring alternative service delivery, reducing employee overtime and turnover, implementing AI solutions to enhance efficiency, and leveraging performance audits to be more efficient.
 

Cost Control Measures, One-Time Revenues, and Ongoing Savings. In February 2025, the City introduced immediate, temporary cost control measures to reduce the deficit heading into FY 2026. Measures such as reducing staff travel, training, consultant engagements, equipment purchases, and holding some vacant positions open is anticipated to yield more than $1.3 million in savings in the remainder of FY 2025. To reduce the size and scope of future reductions, most of these cost control measures will remain in place for FY 2026, with an additional $1.11 million anticipated in savings.

In addition to cost savings, the City secured one-time revenues totaling $3.62 million in FY 2025 and FY 2026, including:

• $2 million from the State of Oregon: In March 2025, the City reached an agreement with the State to support a security perimeter around the State Capitol. This agreement will reduce vehicle traffic on State Street to two lanes and accommodate a dedicated access lane for parking spaces south of the Capitol.
• $1.62 million transfer from the Cultural Tourism Fund: During COVID, the City used American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to offset tourism-related revenue losses, particularly the decline in transient occupancy taxes due to travel restrictions. As tourism has rebounded, the remaining $1.62 million in ARPA funds previously allocated to the TOT fund will be reallocated to the General Fund.

Starting July 1, 2025, the City will assume emergency medical services from its former contractor. A new EMS fund will manage related revenues and expenses, taking over the cost of 9-1-1 dispatch service for ambulance transport from the General Fund. The City anticipates an additional $900,000 in ongoing savings from these changes to emergency medical services beginning July 1, 2025.
 

The Five-Year Local Option Levy. The Budget Committee’s work takes place within the context of a broader community conversation. The Salem City Council has referred a five-year local option operating levy to voters for the May 20, 2025, special election.
 

If passed, the proposed local option levy would generate an estimated $14 million for services in FY 2026 and a total of $76.4 million over five years. The revenue generated would be placed in a dedicated fund overseen by a committee to ensure that the revenue is used only for purposes outlined in the measure, including:

• Restoring and continuing Salem Public Library services.
• Operation of Center 50+  including classes, activities, outreach services, and support services.
• Recreation programming, such as youth day camps, youth sports, and community events.
• Management and maintenance of more than 90 parks, including facilities, playgrounds, splash fountains, sports fields, trails, and more.

This potential revenue is not included in the FY 2026 Budget. If voters approve the levy, an amended budget proposal will be provided to the Budget Committee on May 28^th for consideration. Most of the recommended reductions in the FY 2026 Budget proposal would be reinstated.
 

The Path Forward. Even with these actions, the structural deficit in the General Fund remains. By FY 2027, the General Fund balance is projected to fall below Council policy. Without new revenue, the City may be unable to adopt a balanced budget by FY 2028, with the fund balance depleted by the end of FY 2029. Public safety—long identified as the community’s top priority—faces potential reductions in future years without a sustainable solution.
 

“This budget year offers several opportunities to address these challenges,” said Namburi. “Our goal is to close the gap through a combination of revenue, efficiencies and cost savings. Every dollar counts. Together, with the continued collaboration of the City Council, staff, community partners, residents, and businesses, we will navigate these challenges and build a more sustainable and resilient future for Salem.”
 

Next Steps for Salem’s FY 2026 Budget. The Budget Committee begins their work on the City Manager’s proposed 2026 budget at the first of four scheduled meetings Wednesday, April 16, at 6 p.m. at Salem Council Chambers, 555 Liberty Street SE., in Salem. Weekly Wednesday meetings continue April 23, April 30, and May 7. All will be held at Council Chambers.
 

Any person may provide written testimony on the City and Urban Renewal Agency budgets for consideration by the Budget Committee. Send written testimony to budgetoffice@cityofsalem.net by 3 p.m. the day of the meeting. In-person public comment may be provided at the meeting. To provide testimony through video conference, sign up online the day of the meeting between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. The meetings are available to view online through the CC:Media YouTube channel or Comcast channel 21.

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