Council refers living wage ordinance back with discharge recommendation
City Council · Meeting of September 16, 2026
Salem City Council refers living wage ordinance back with discharge recommendation. The Committee on Ordinances, Licenses and Legal Affairs, co-posted with the Committee of the Whole, voted 3 to 1 on September 16 to refer Councillor Kyle Alexander Davis's proposed ordinance back to the full council for discharge. The proposal would have increased minimum city wages to $19.14 per hour through phased $1-per-hour annual increases, estimated at $111,667.78 in total cost if all affected employees received the adjustment.
Mayor Pangallo, while affirming progress in reducing the proportion of employees below the living wage threshold, opposed the ordinance approach, arguing wage decisions belong in the annual budget process.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 351 words
Source: the City Council meeting of September 16, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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