City Council votes to change seal after community debate
Salem City Council voted 8-2 to change the city seal, responding to complaints about its 187-year-old imagery. Council President Alice Rose Merkl supported the Seal Task Force recommendation to remove the Spice Islands trader figure, which the Asian American and Pacific Islander community said
City Council · Meeting of September 10, 2026
Salem City Council voted 8-2 to change the city seal, responding to complaints about its 187-year-old imagery. Council President Alice Rose Merkl supported the Seal Task Force recommendation to remove the Spice Islands trader figure, which the Asian American and Pacific Islander community said perpetuated racial stereotypes; Councillors Timothy G. Flynn and Ty Hapworth opposed the change; Councillor Conrad J.
Prosniewski was absent. The vote approved moving forward with a redesign but did not establish a replacement design or require Charter amendments.
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Source: the City Council meeting of September 10, 2026, compiled from the official minutes.
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