Salem city councilors will vote Monday on moving forward with a plan for a possible property tax levy to fund the library, parks and Center 50+. If the council approves, city employees would craft a more detailed plan for a five-year operations levy, which voters would decide on in May 2025.  Councilors would still have to vote at a later meeting on whether to put the tax increase on the ballot. A campaign for a levy would cost the city roughly $300,000, according to a staff report from the city’s Chief Financial Officer Josh Eggleston. How to participate The meeting starts at 6 p.m. Monday, November 25, 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. It comes after Salem voters indicated they won’t pay more in property taxes to avoid deep cuts to the city’s library, parks and emergency services.  In October a city poll found that though the majority of voters reject all levy options, they’d slightly prefer a public safety levy which would maintain existing police and fire services and add new positions. The city continues grappling with a nearly $18 million gap between revenues and expenses as it works to balance its budget for the next fiscal year. The process is likely to result in painful cuts to many city services including police and firefighters if new revenue is not secured.  In poll, Salem residents say they won’t pay more property taxes for public safety, library or parks The council would then discuss the levy further during a work session on January 21. That discussion would include possible rates property owners would pay, Eggleston said in a staff report. Depending on the rate selected, a typical homeowner would pay between $129 and $246 per year more in property taxes, the report said. According to Eggleston, to keep the city’s parks, library and Center 50+ running in 2026 would cost roughly $15 million dollars. The figure includes expanding library services following cuts in early 2024. That cost gradually increases over the next five years reaching about $18 million in 2030.  Other items City councilors will hear a report on the first full year of commercial air service in Salem, which generated $183,000 in revenue for the city while costing $664,000 in operational expenses. Over 55,000 passengers have used Salem’s airport in the year since Avelo began flights to Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area. Councilors will also vote on notifying the Federal Emergency Management Agency to proceed with a program that would regulate floodplain development. The new rules would require developers to complete an assessment on habitats for floodplain projects and would preserve the city’s eligibility for federally-backed flood insurance and federal disaster relief.  Councilors will also hear an informational report about a proposal from Apple Tree Holdings, LLC to build and operate a new solid waste transfer station in Rickreall, Eggleston said in a staff report. The estimated opening date of the possible new transfer station is in 2027, and the station could possibly provide benefits and impacts to solid waste services and rates in Salem, particularly in West Salem.  Contact reporter Joe Siess: [email protected] or 503-335-7790. A MOMENT MORE, PLEASE – If you found this story useful, consider subscribing to Salem Reporter if you don’t already. Work such as this, done by local professionals, depends on community support from subscribers. Please take a moment and sign up now – easy and secure: SUBSCRIBE. The post Despite poor polls, Salem council may explore property tax increase to fund library, parks appeared first on Salem Reporter.