Salem Commission on Disabilities approves $750 for Disability Pride Flag raising event. Chair Debra Lobsitz and commissioners voted unanimously June 16 to fund interpreter services for the July 9 ceremony with organizer Lori Stewart.
City Council utility committees send rate increases forward. The Committee on Ordinances, Licenses and Legal Affairs and Committee of the Whole voted unanimously June 11 to recommend water, sewer, and trash-fee ordinances to the full Council, effective July 1, 2026. Residential trash rates rise to
Salem City Council adopts $223.1 million operating budget after removing drone funding. Council President Alice Rose Merkl and eight other councillors voted to eliminate $41,667 in police drone technology appropriations amid resident concerns, though a motion to cut $200,000 for Pioneer Village
Trust Fund Board approves $136,100 in FY27 grants. The Board of Commissioners of Trust Funds unanimously backed allocations to 14 nonprofits and community organizations, including $15,000 each to The Salem Pantry, The Samaritans, and St. Vincent de Paul Society, plus $13,600 to Children's Friend
Salem Redevelopment Authority approves outdoor dining, advances 50 million dollar health center project. The Authority unanimously approved outdoor dining expansion at East India Square for Not Ya Mama's Vegan Café, including five black metal tables with one wheelchair-accessible table. The
Salem Council unanimously approves $81.7M school budget with consolidation savings. The Committee on Administration and Finance recommended Salem Public Schools' fiscal 2027 budget totaling $81,755,368, with $64,053,931 in personnel costs and $17,701,437 in expenditures. The district consolidated
Salem Cemetery Commission reviews Chapel accessibility redesign and launches market-rate fee study.
The City Council Committee on Administration and Finance unanimously approved operating budgets totaling $2.1 million for six city departments. The Collector's office achieved 98 percent real estate tax collection rates through a new collections firm that recovered more than $1 million and returned
Salem Board of Health schedules public hearing on proposed Kratom ban regulation for July 14. The board heard from Joyce Redford, Director of the North Shore/Cape Ann Tobacco Policy Program, about the health and enforcement concerns with Kratom products, noting that while synthetic and natural
Salem Tree Commission debates new plantings versus maintaining mature downtown trees. Chair Darleen Melis raised concerns about London plane trees in severe decline on Washington Street, Riley Plaza, and near the Salem YMCA, arguing resources should shift toward preserving the existing canopy.
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