Cherriots is proposing to assess a .7% payroll tax on employers in Salem, Keizer and the rest of its taxing district in the Salem-Keizer urban growth boundary.
If the seven-member board of the Salem Area Mass Transit District, which operates as Cherriots, votes to approve the tax, it will take effect on January 1, 2026.
Cherriots says it would use the projected $39.4 million it raises each year from the tax to expand service. Cherriots provided about 3.2 million rides in 2024, down from its peak ridership of about 5.5 million in 2004…