Salem City Council will hold a public hearing Monday and vote on whether to amend the 2024 budget and eliminate 33 vacant positions.
The changes are needed due to a budget deficit. With the failure of the payroll tax measure, the city must amend the budget as staff continue to find other sources of revenue.
“Without additional revenue, reductions in services are needed to maintain a fund balance within policy compliance over the next several years,” staff said in a report to council. “This action reduces $4,658,900 and 33.35 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) positions in the General Fund.”
The eliminated positions include two park rangers, four positions with the Salem Outreach and Livability Services team that works with people experiencing homelessness and surrounding neighbors, seven library positions, five police jobs, a fire training officer, two code compliance officers and two IT administrative analysts. All the proposed position cuts are currently vacant.
Council also will vote on whether to transfer $72,000 in savings from the police department to the city manager’s office to fund a limited-duration program manager to further Salem’s plan for a diversity, equity and inclusion program and a Community Violence Reduction Initiative.