Over 82% of Salem voters cast a "No" vote on the so called Safe Salem Payroll tax in yesterday's special election. Last July, the Salem City Council voted to enact the tax, which would have cost everyone living or working in Salem - even commuters - about $40 a month (with an exemption for minimum wage workers). Money collected would have been used for emergency services, including the city's homelessness response.
Understanding the additional burden this would have placed on our members, OTA joined with other organizations to actively oppose the proposed payroll tax. Through this support, thousands of signatures were gathered to refer the tax to the ballot and close to $195,000 was raised to defeat the onerous tax.