City Invites Community Members To Follow And Participate In Budget Process - 02/10/26

• Budgeting affects the services residents rely on
• Community members are invited to get involved

Salem, Ore. – Providing essential services while finding ways to prevent future budget shortfalls is at the forefront of Fiscal Year 2027 (July 1, 2026-June 30, 2027) City of Salem budgeting process. Work is underway now as City departments develop budgets for the city manager’s review and approval.

Community involvement is the foundation of the budgeting process. The City offers many ways to engage with the budget and provide input to decision makers.

Why This Matters

The City’s financial condition directly affects the services that residents rely on and the City’s ability to maintain them. Understanding and addressing financial issues is critical to ensuring that Salem remains a vibrant and well-supported community.

City staff is focusing on new approaches, innovations, and strategies to control rising costs, as well as continuing adjustments to reduce projected deficits in coming years.

How to Get Involved

Residents can get involved in the Budget Committee process in several ways:

• Reading the proposed FY 2027 budget (including the City Manager’s message and result areas) when it is published on the City of Salem website in early April
• Watching Budget Committee meetings on CCTV cable, Channel 21
• Streaming on the City of Salem YouTube Channel
• Attending meetings in person at the Salem Public Library, 585 Liberty Street SE, Loucks Auditorium
• Signing up to testify at a meeting either in-person or online
• Applying to serve as a Salem Budget Committee member

Watch announcements of these opportunities on the City website.

Budget Committee and Process

Salem’s Budget Committee includes nine city councilors and nine appointed community members. The committee reviews the city manager’s proposed budget and then recommends a budget for Salem City Council adoption in June.

This year’s process began with a Budget Committee meeting on January 14 where the committee heard about the updated Five-Year Financial Forecast. Starting in April, the Budget Committee will meet weekly on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. in Loucks Auditorium to consider the city manager’s proposal and any changes they want to make before sending their recommendation to the city council.

Meeting dates are:

• April 15, 2026
• April 22, 2026
• April 29, 2026
• May 6, 2026
• May 13, 2026 (alternate date)

Levy Investment Supports Services

Levy funding has helped restore services that residents identified as priorities. The levy allowed the City to restore and adjust Salem Public Library hours at the Main and West Salem branches based on information gathered from our community through a public survey. The levy also helped maintain recreation and Center 50+ activities, as well as ongoing operations in Salem’s 90-plus parks.

On May 20, 2025, Salem voters approved a five-year local option levy to fund key community services. This property tax increase is expected to generate a projected total of $76,372,000 over five years. The measure costs property owners $0.98 per $1,000 of assessed property value (not market value). The owner of a typical home assessed at $224,000 would pay about $18.33 per month or about $220 per year, from Fiscal year 2026-2030.

The City encourages community members to stay engaged as the budget process continues and additional budget resources are shared in the coming months.

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Good News For Protecting Salem’s Drinking Water Supply - 02/09/26

• Preparations advance to protect Salem’s drinking water in face of planned deep drawdowns of Detroit Reservoir
• More resiliency measures in place, including connecting to Keizer’s water supply in case of emergency
• Test of second connection to Keizer water supply surpasses expectations

More about the Detroit Reservoir and Deep Drawdowns

New Traffic Signal To Be Activated On Liberty Road S (Photo) - 02/02/26

Salem, Ore.— Residents using Liberty Road S will see a new traffic signal in use Feb. 3 at Davis Road S. This new signal will make the intersection safer for drivers turning left onto either road, especially during peak travel times.

Drivers should be aware of the new traffic pattern when traveling in this area. During the signal activation, pedestrians and motorists should use caution, expect some delays and follow traffic control signage and workers.

The need for a traffic signal at Liberty Road S and Davis Road S was identified in traffic studies that were required from some adjacent housing developments. These studies showed a signal was needed and was warranted according to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. The MUTCD is a publication of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration that defines the standards used by road managers nationwide to install and maintain traffic control devices.

Funding for the traffic signal comes from the 2022 Safety & Livability Bond, System Development Charges and funds collected from recent developments in the area for their share of the intersection improvement costs.

In November 2022, Salem residents approved a $300 million community improvement bond. This bond will fund a 10-year plan to make various improvements in the city. The selected projects aim to improve streets, sidewalks, bike paths, parks and public facilities throughout the city. 

For general information, please contact the City of Salem at 503-588-6211 or service@cityofsalem.net.

Statement From The Salem City Manager And City Attorney Concerning Use Of Force By Federal Law Enforcement On Salem Residents - 02/02/26

The City of Salem is aware of reports of federal law enforcement use of force against Salem residents. The reports allege racial profiling, detention, property damage and injuries to Salem residents by masked teams of federal agents. The City condemns any illegal use of force and any violation of residents’ constitutional rights.

We urge residents to know their rights and take lawful steps to protect themselves: Know Your Rights: Immigrants' Rights - ACLU of Oregon.

The City recognizes that these reports have caused fear, anxiety, and distress within the Salem community, and we share in residents’ concern for the safety and well-being of all affected. We join calls for the State of Oregon and federal government to reassure and protect residents from these types of actions by federal law enforcement.

In alignment with City Council, we encourage Oregon’s federal delegation to address: (a) a comprehensive approach to solve our broken immigration system in order to provide a realistic pathway to citizenship for all aspiring Americans, and (b) protect our immigrant and other vulnerable communities from the unlawful and unnecessary actions being taken by federal agents in the name of immigration enforcement.

What to do if you witness a crime: If you are the victim of or witness a crime, you are encouraged to call 911 to report the incident. Salem Police will respond to active scenes and attempt to deescalate the situation. If an incident involves federal law enforcement in performance of their duties, the U.S. Constitution restricts the City and police from interfering with federal law enforcement. Investigation and potential referral of criminal charges involving federal law enforcement is under the jurisdiction of federal authorities.

Residents may contact the Department of Homeland Security, Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties online at: https//www.dhs.gov/file-civil-rights-complaint, or the FBI at: Electronic Tip Form | FBI or Portland — FBI.

Guidance from State law: Under Oregon’s Sanctuary Promise law, the City does not and is prohibited from cooperating with federal enforcement of immigration law. Neither the City, nor the Salem Police Department, cooperate or assist the federal government’s enforcement of immigration law. The Salem City Council has reaffirmed the City’s commitment to Oregon Sanctuary Promise law and in recognition of the impacts of the federal government’s actions, has declared a state of emergency in Salem.

Guidance from Federal law: Under the U.S. Constitution and federal law, local law enforcement is also prohibited from interfering with federal officers in the performance of their duties, even if it is alleged or believed that the federal officers are violating the law or infringing on someone’s constitutional rights.

Krishna Namburi, City Manager
Dan Atchison, City Attorney
City of Salem, Oregon
 

Salem Police Incident Report: Thursday, January 29

• The call, from the daughter of the involved woman, was received thirty minutes after the incident had ended. There was no active scene for officers to respond to or intervene in. 
• The complainant told dispatch her mother would not speak directly with anyone immediately after the incident. The dispatcher asked the caller whether her mother needed medical assistance. The daughter stated that she would be taking her mother to the hospital and did not request medical assistance or transport from the City. 

Subsequent Follow Up

Salem Police Response Procedure

Federal Oversight

What to do if you witnessed this incident?

Bridge-Strengthening Projects Enhance Public Safety - 01/29/26

Salem, Ore. — With funding for bridge strengthening from the 2022 Safety and Livability Bond projects, four local bridges are no longer load restricted.

The City installed additional reinforcement to strengthen four local bridges at 15th Street NE, 17th Street NE and Liberty Street NE over Mill Creek and the Mission Street SE Bridge over Pringle Creek. 

Previously, the weight of vehicles that could safely pass over the bridges, including some emergency vehicles, was restricted.  But now, after these improvements, the strengthened bridges enhance public safety and reduce emergency response times, especially near Salem Hospital. The work also allows large freight vehicles to access the bridges, shortening travel times. 

Construction was completed in December 2025.

Submit Nominees For ILEAD Impact Awards By February 3 (Photo) - 01/29/26

Salem, Ore. – The deadline is nearing to submit nominees, individuals or groups, from Marion, Polk and Linn counties for the 2026 ILEAD Impact Awards. The awards will be presented at the ILEAD Youth Leadership Summit on March 7.

Submit your nominees by February 3.

ILEAD is an annual one-day Youth Leadership Summit for high schoolers living in the Mid-Willamette Valley. This free event is managed by the City of Salem's Safe and Healthy Communities Outreach – Opioid Prevention and coordinated by a planning committee of stakeholders alongside a youth committee. The mission is to encourage, empower and better equip teens to lead positive change in their lives, their schools and their community.

The ILEAD Impact Awards celebrate the great work being done in our community around youth leadership development and volunteerism, teen opportunity development, teen-to-teen advocacy and voice, and youth health and wellbeing focuses.

There are three award categories: 

1. the Youth Leader Impact Award,
2. the Youth Program Impact Award
3. the Adult Leader Impact Award.

Anyone in Marion, Polk or Linn county can submit nominations.

You can submit as many nominations as you wish. Click the link again if you have more than one to submit in the same category. Each selected nominee, group or individual, will receive an engraved medal.

Impact Awards are sponsored by the City of Salem - Opioid Prevention and Marion County Health and Human Services - Health Promotion and Prevention Services.

Online

Web pages: ILEAD Youth Leadership Summit and Summit Registration

Instagram: @ileadyouthsummit 

Facebook:  Facebook.com/ILEADoregon 

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Salem To Test Second Connection To City Of Keizer Water Supply As Drawdown Preparations Continue - 01/22/26

Salem, Ore.— As part of ongoing preparations for a planned deep drawdown of Detroit Reservoir later this year, City staff will test a newly constructed pump station between the City of Keizer and the City of Salem’s water supplies Jan. 26.

During the test, both the new connection and the existing connection will be opened and evaluated for several days.

Testing these connections will allow City staff to make observations under conditions similar to those we expect to see at the time of the deep drawdown. Your drinking water will remain safe during our connection to Keizer’s reliable groundwater system, though customers (primarily in the West and Northeast Salem areas) may notice a slight difference.

This new connection is one of several resiliency measures authorized by the City Council in July to prepare the Salem water system for a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers planned deep drawdown of Detroit Reservoir that will occur in late fall or early winter 2026.

The drawdown of Detroit Reservoir is detailed in a Biological Opinion issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service in December 2024 as required by the Endangered Species Act. The opinion directs the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to lower the elevation in Detroit Reservoir to a level not seen since the dam was built over 70 years ago.
 
The purpose of this deep drawdown is to improve downstream passage of ESA-protected fish. However, the drawdown will also result in high levels of suspended sediments — fine particles of clay, silt and other matter — in the North Santiam River downstream of the dam. High levels of suspended sediment over an extended period of time present a significant risk to the operation of the City’s water treatment plant, which draws water from the North Santiam River at its location on Geren Island.
 
High levels of suspended sediment in the intake water will require the City to stop using river water at its water treatment plant, possibly for several weeks. During this period, the City will use other water sources to meet the anticipated demand. These alternative sources include existing and new groundwater wells on Geren Island, the Aquifer Storage and Recovery facility in South Salem, and an emergency supply of drinking water through a connection with the City of Keizer. These sources should meet the expected water demand during the drawdown and recovery period in 2026 and the years following.
 
New measures will not only increase our alternate water sources for the drawdown, but also will make our drinking water system more resilient in the face of other disruptions, such as the recent flooding.
 
In December 2025, City staff  opened the first connection to the City of Keizer’s water supply for seven days following a major storm, taking in about 25 million gallons of water to meet demand from Salem’s water customers. All drinking water remained safe during this time. The storm limited drinking water production capabilities at the City’s Geren Island Water Treatment Facility. As planned and previously tested, Salem was able to draw water from Keizer, groundwater wells at Geren Island and our Aquifer Storage and Recovery facility. 

Customers should contact Salem Public Works Dispatch at 503-588-6311 if they have any questions or concerns about their drinking water.  

Geren Island Fuel Spill Poses No Threat To Salem’s Drinking Water - 01/20/26

Salem, Ore. — A limited-area fuel spill on the island that also houses Salem’s water treatment facility poses no threat to the City’s drinking water.

In the early morning of Jan. 20, Public Works staff discovered a diesel fuel spill had occurred over the weekend when a part inside an electrical generator failed, resulting in about 600 gallons of fuel leaking onto the ground. The spill occurred on the west end of the island near administrative and laboratory buildings, about a half mile from the nearest water treatment area and more than 600 feet from the south channel of the North Santiam River.

The spill had no impact on the quality or safety of Salem’s drinking water supply. Your water remains safe to drink.

Salem’s Environmental Services unit responded and performed the initial surface clean up. Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality has been notified and is monitoring the situation. A contractor has been brought in to remove contaminated soil. Work will continue over the next several days to remove all contaminated soil and ensure no fuel reaches the North Santiam River.

Salem's water treatment facility on Geren Island in the North Santiam River has served Salem residents top-quality drinking water since 1937. Customers should contact Salem Public Works Dispatch at 503-588-6311 if they have any questions or concerns about their drinking water. 

City Of Salem And Marion County Launch Rapid Engagement, Assessment And Community Health Pilot (Photo) - 01/16/26

Salem, Ore. — The Salem Fire Department and Marion County Health and Human Services will host a press conference to announce the launch of the REACH (Rapid Engagement, Assessment & Community Health) Team.
 

Date: January 20, 2026
Time: 9 – 9:30 a.m.
Location: Salem Fire Department, Fire Station 1, 370 Trade Street SE

Scheduled speakers:

• Opening Remarks, Salem Fire Chief David Gerboth
• Salem City Mayor Julie Hoy
• Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell
• Salem City Councilor Vanessa Nordyke
• Marion County Behavioral Health Crisis Services Director Debbie Wells
• Closing Remarks, Salem Fire Chief David Gerboth

Following the press conference, members of the REACH Team will be available to discuss the program and participate in photos with the response vehicle and equipment.

New REACH Team: Paramedic, EMT and Mental Health Co-Response

The REACH Team will address the growing number of 911 calls driven by behavioral health, substance use, and other complex social needs that traditional emergency response alone cannot resolve. REACH provides a more appropriate response by pairing medical and behavioral health expertise to engage individuals early, connect them to services, and break the cycle of repeated emergency calls. This approach is intended to improve outcomes for the community, reduce strain on the 911 system, reduce referrals to the emergency room, and help ensure Fire and EMS crews remain available for the most serious emergencies.

Safe Clean and Healthy Initiative

On October 13, 2025, Salem City Council passed a supplemental budget to advance the Safe, Clean and Healthy Salem initiative following four months of City Council, resident, business community, and service provider conversations to enhance safety, cleanliness, and health in the downtown and northeast Salem.  These two areas of Salem experience higher volumes of requests for police support and emergency medical response.

Key efforts of the initiative include:

• Safe
  • Funding two additional Homeless Services Team police officers to expand coverage to seven days per week to better connect people living unsheltered in our community to available services and shelter. The HST officers provide proactive policing and have familiarity working with unsheltered populations
• Clean
  • Expanding cleaning services in high-response areas to further improve health and safety from four to seven days each week, to provide more consistent sanitation and hygiene efforts in public areas The Salem Outreach and Livability Services (SOS) team works in response to community reports to ensure health and livability of our outdoor spaces
• Healthy
  • Piloting Salem Fire and Community Health – Co-Response Model, that will deploy integrated teams consisting of a paramedic, EMT and Marion County mental health clinician to incidents involving emotional disturbances, overdoses and other health emergencies while also conducting proactive outreach to prevent emergencies before they occur 

On November 4, 2025, Marion County’s Board of Commissioners approved funding for a mental health associate as part of the community health response pilot program following Council’s October funding action. 

A parking map is attached.

Street Closure Planned Jan. 19 For Event At Capitol State Park - 01/16/26

Salem, Ore. — One street south of Capitol State Park will be closed Jan. 19 for a planned event. Travelers and pedestrians are asked to be aware of the closures and plan other routes or schedules if necessary.

Court Street NE between 12^th Street NE and Winter Street NE will be closed from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 19. No additional closures are planned.

Drivers traveling west through downtown Salem should expect increased pedestrian traffic and some delays on Court Street NE. 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.

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

City Asks Corps To Take Additional Steps To Safeguard Salem’s Water In 2026 As Detroit Reservoir Drawdowns Begin - 01/13/26

Salem, Ore. — The City of Salem is asking the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to include additional safeguards as it continues to plan for annual deep drawdowns of the Detroit Reservoir to improve downstream passage of Endangered Species Act-protected fish beginning later this year. The drawdowns will result in high levels of turbidity, which creates significant risk to the City’s drinking water treatment plant as it draws water from the North Santiam River downriver from the Detroit Reservoir.

The Corps’ current plan addresses many of the concerns City staff have expressed since learning of the planned drawdowns last January, including significant commitments such as beginning the drawdowns closer to late November or early December when the demand on Salem’s water supply is lower, conducting the drawdowns in a series of deeper steps over several years to gauge drinking water impacts, and limiting the drawdowns duration to two weeks.

However, City staff remain concerned about the absence of turbidity triggers — ways to identify corrective actions depending on levels of murkiness in the water. Turbidity will make filtration difficult or impossible. Accompanying action measures are missing from the Willamette Valley System Operations and Maintenance Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement issued by the Corps of Engineers in November 2025.

“The purpose of the turbidity trigger is to protect human health, the City’s residents and businesses who rely on Salem to provide safe drinking water, and to protect the City’s water treatment system,” said Krishna Namburi, Salem city manager. “It is critical that the Corps include a plan of action for how they will adjust their drawdowns if turbidity is too high to provide safe drinking water.”

This recommendation is based on years of operational experience coupled with scientific research conducted over the past year.

“Clear triggers and actions are essential for the City’s operational and contingency planning,” Namburi said in the January 12, 2026, letter. “Establishing mutually acceptable triggers and action measures also represents the best way forward for providing assurances to our current and future regional customers that safe drinking water will continue to be reliably delivered.”

The City of Salem remains committed to working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and others to evaluate and implement measures that support downstream passage of juvenile fish species, protect habitat and water quality, ensure water demands are met, and provide for the many users of the North Santiam River.

The drawdown of Detroit Reservoir is detailed in a Biological Opinion issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service in December 2024 as required by the Endangered Species Act. The opinion directs the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to lower the elevation in Detroit Reservoir to a level not seen since the dam was built over 70 years ago.
 
The purpose of the deep drawdowns is to improve downstream passage of ESA-protected fish. However, the drawdowns will also result in high levels of suspended sediments — fine particles of clay, silt and other matter — in the North Santiam River downstream of the dam. High levels of suspended sediment over an extended period of time present a significant risk to the operation of the City’s water treatment plant, which draws water from the North Santiam River at its location on Geren Island.
 
High levels of suspended sediment in the intake water will require the City to stop using river water at its water treatment plant, possibly for several weeks. During this period, the City will use other water sources to meet the anticipated demand. These alternative sources include existing and new groundwater wells on Geren Island, the Aquifer Storage and Recovery facility in South Salem, and an emergency supply of drinking water through a connection with the City of Keizer. These sources should meet the expected water demand during the drawdown and recovery period in 2026.
 
Over the past year, the City has taken several steps to prepare for the drawdowns. These include declaring an emergency in July 2025 to allow staff to expedite the construction of additional groundwater wells at Geren Island, adding an additional pump station connection with the City of Keizer and accelerating filter re-sanding to better withstand above-normal turbidity.

New measures will not only increase our alternate supply for the drawdown, but also will make our drinking water system more resilient in the face of other disruptions, such as the recent flooding.
 
Learn more about Salem’s Drinking Water at CityofSalem.net/drinking-water.

New Trash Receptacles Address Disposal Needs In Downtown Salem (Photo) - 01/13/26

• Installation of new downtown trash receptacles will occur in stages between January and February. Installation began January 12, 2026.

Salem, Ore. – The installation of new trash receptacles in downtown Salem began this week. These will replace receptacles installed over 20 years ago that are worn and unable to handle the current trash disposal needs.
 

“This project comes at a crucial time as we strive to enhance the cleanliness of downtown, directly addressing the concerns raised by our businesses and visitors,” said Dana DeKlyen, Urban Development Assistant Director.

The new, improved trash receptacle design will eliminate the ability to display trash on the exterior, feature a larger opening, a chute for disposal and a flat, smooth surface that will be easier to clean. The new design will also allow the possibility of a future art wrap, much like the downtown utility box wraps.

There are no current plans to reduce the number of downtown receptacles, instead they will be redistributed for broader accessibility.

This project is made possible by Urban Renewal funding dedicated to Riverfront Downtown capital projects and is part of the multi-year Downtown Salem Streetscape project.

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