Four Salem city councilors and four challengers seeking their seats dove into how the city should respond to people sleeping on local streets, bringing down costs for families and police staffing levels while taking up the Elsinore Theatre stage Tuesday night. City council candidates kicked off S alem Reporter’s city election Town Hall downtown on Tuesday, March 31.  Each city council candidate shared a five-minute speech and answered a question specific to their ward. Questions were provided prompts and questions in advance of the event. Councilors represent a specific geographic area of Salem, called a ward. Not sure which ward you live in? Check a city map here. Ward 2 Councilor Linda Nishioka Councilor Linda Nishioka, Ward 2, answers a question at the Salem Reporter’s city election Town Hall on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter) Her pitch: In her first term as a city councilor, Nishioka says she has listened to Ward 2 residents about their concerns with transportation, parks, traffic and emergency preparedness and provided solutions by working with the rest of the Salem City Council. She wants to continue her work as a councilor to build more partnerships with county and state agencies to address homelessness and work with fellow city councilors on responsible city budgeting.  Key quote: “This is a team sport – the councilors have to work together to get anything done and we worked very hard on getting the livability levy passed so that we could have our parks maintained, our library restored hours and Center 50+.” Manny Martinez Ward 2 council candidate Manny Martinez delivers his candidate statement at the Salem Reporter’s city election Town Hall on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter) His pitch: To Martinez, the key issue for the city of Salem is homelessness. If elected, he would support taking big steps to reduce the number of people on Salem’s streets and in local parks, including involving law enforcement, enforcing Salem’s camping ban and arranging for one managed camping site in each of the city’s eight wards. Key quote: “The number one thing I learned in my recovery is accountability. You cannot have recovery without accountability, and we have to be willing to speak the difficult truth of this issue if we are going to help to save these people’s lives,” Martinez said. “Empty lectures about kindness and compassion are not enough. We’ve got to get real about this issue.”  Salem Reporter asked both candidates: What do you propose to further address homelessness in downtown Salem? Nishioka: The city’s current six-month pilot, which expanded two city homeless teams and launched a new crisis response team, is making good progress so far, Nishioka said, but she wants bigger partners to help make more progress. She suggested working with Marion and Polk county governments and the state, along with starting an ambassador program that would add a visible and unarmed presence to support cleanliness and safety for visitors and businesses downtown. Martinez: The results of the city’s approach to homelessness so far are “unacceptable,” Martinez said. He mentioned his plan to tackle homelessness with eight steps, which are listed on his campaign website, that take a more aggressive approach involving law enforcement, selling surplus city property to fund services and building more shelters in Salem.  Watch their full responses below. Ward 4 Councilor Deanna Gwyn Councilor Deanna Gwyn, Ward 4, answers a question at the Salem Reporter’s city election Town Hall on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter) Her pitch: Through her job in real estate, Gwyn has worked with many families struggling to afford homes, and as a councilor has kept in mind the issue of affordability for local families, she said. She feels her responsibility is to the people who live and work here, and to make Salem a safe place for others to move to and call home. Key quote: “Public safety has been my top priority since day one, and we’ve made real progress. We brought ambulance service back to Salem with improved response times. We launched the REACH program pairing first responders with mental health professionals so people in crisis get the right kind of help, because what we were doing before simply wasn’t enough.” Dave Inbody Ward 4 council candidate Dave Inbody answers a question at the Salem Reporter’s city election Town Hall on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter) His pitch: Inbody’s years of experience managing government budgeting and working in planning have led him to want to see clear success measures when it comes to how public funds are being spent on services for a community. He would bring three key things to the city council if elected: being thoughtful about local economic developments, prioritizing long-term city financial stability and engaging with the community by listening to their perspectives, he said.  Key quote: “You know, most people just want a government that works. I’ve spent a career in public service turning good ideas into positive results for people. I want to put that experience to work for you.” Salem Reporter asked both candidates: What do you propose to reduce city government barriers to housing development in south Salem? Gwyn: Faster and more predictable timelines for housing developments would make it so Salem families are not waiting for long periods for housing to be built and made available for them, Gwyn said. She supports quickly approving housing projects if they meet city codes to avoid added costs and longer timelines for developers. Inbody: Improving the permitting process for developers and the zoning code is important for improving housing in south Salem, Inbody said, but he also believes in adding incentives for builders to come to Salem to create affordable housing. He also wants housing infrastructure to factor in that not everyone in south Salem has a car and is able to live safely in the area. Watch their full responses below. Ward 6 Councilor Mai Vang Councilor Mai Vang, Ward 6, delivers her candidate statement at Salem Reporter’s city election Town Hall on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter) Her pitch: After winning a special election in 2025, Vang voted to bring city homeless services to northeast Salem, restarted councilor attendance at neighborhood meetings and pushed for efforts to improve pedestrian safety around Ward 6. With Ward 6 not receiving its share of city resources in the past, Vang said she has been an advocate on issues key to residents and wants to continue to set thoughtful city policies that address community experiences.  Key quote: “Ward 6 deserves an advocate with the experience and the knowledge to continue advocating and pushing policy that makes Ward 6 a beautiful place to live.”  Betsy Vega Ward 6 council candidate Betsy Vega delivers her candidate statement at the Salem Reporter’s city election Town Hall on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter) Her pitch: Vega wants to restore hope in the community that Salem can be a livable place for local families by making public safety a “non-negotiable” issue, focus on supporting addiction treatment for people on Salem’s streets and scrutinize how the city spends taxpayer money. Her biggest motivation is her faith, which she said reminds her of people’s dignity. Key quote: “People are losing faith in city government and (that it) can actually solve problems. What’s been missing on the city council is a courage to tell the hard truth and pursue real solutions instead of Band-Aids.” Salem Reporter asked both candidates: What action would you propose the city take to bring down rents for Salem families living in private properties? Vang: Although the state government plays a big role in controlling rent around Oregon, the city can still take some action and get creative in helping decrease rent, Vang said. The city adopted a plan last year to look at ways to improve housing opportunities, including bringing down rent, and in February, Vang brought a motion for the city to research potential new rent policies and protections. Vega: Building more homes is a large part of Vega’s strategy for addressing affordability in Salem. She said government mandates don’t make housing more affordable. She also wants to speed up the permitting process, zone more land for apartment buildings and waive fees for certain housing types. Watch their full responses below. Ward 8 Councilor Micki Varney Councilor Micki Varney, Ward 8, answers a question at the Salem Reporter’s city election Town Hall on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter) Her pitch: As a city councilor, Varney worked to improve traffic and pedestrian safety around West Salem with reduced speed limits and crosswalks, while also voting in support of broader community safety on the recent city pilot for expanded homeless and behavioral health services. If reelected, Varney said she would push to build on the ongoing work to transition homeless people into housing and jobs, support improved transportation infrastructure for West Salem and government accountability with tax dollars and meetings. Key quote: “I’m proud of what our city has accomplished, like balancing our budget with support from you for the local option levy to keep our libraries and parks open and implementing projects to increase sheltering for the unhoused and provide more affordable housing.” Chris Cummings Ward 8 council candidate Chris Cummings answers a question from the audience at the Salem Reporter’s city election Town Hall on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (LAURA TESLER/For Salem Reporter) His pitch: With a background as a small business owner and a focus on safety, Cummings said he wants to bring a results-driven approach to Salem City Council and more “active representation versus passive participation” for Ward 8. He would use a practical approach that prioritized outcomes over intentions, and wants to see results showing whether people feel safer in Salem and businesses staying in the area. Key quote: “At the end of the day, this campaign is about restoring confidence in our city. Confidence that your neighborhood is safe, your businesses can succeed, your tax dollars are being used wisely and your voice is actually being heard.” Salem Reporter asked both candidates: With public safety at top concern, what revenue increase or budget shift do you propose to maintain the current staffing at the Salem Police Department? Cummings: A significant portion of police time is spent responding to calls related to homelessness and mental health challenges, he said. He proposed expanding the current police homeless services team to more parts of Salem to free up other officers to focus on other priorities. Cummings also suggested technology use and partnerships with Polk County in West Salem could improve police coverage, as well as getting the state of Oregon to contribute to public safety costs. Varney: Salem needs to fund more police officers and reduce overtime use, but Varney said budget constraints and rising costs make this difficult. She supports pursuing a state payment to the city to cover public safety costs and raising the monthly fee on utility bills for large businesses and institutions that use a large share of public safety resources. Watch their full responses below. Contact reporter Madeleine Moore: [email protected]. SIGN UP: “Your work helps hold leaders accountable and gives citizens a voice.” Independent reporting gives Salem a stronger voice on issues from homelessness to health care. Be part of that work. Subscribe today. The post Salem council candidates make their pitches to voters at Town Hall appeared first on Salem Reporter. ...read more read less