Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Council debate flares over use of word "livability" for May ballot measure after Elections Division strikes term
Summary
Councilors and members of the public debated how the city should label a May local-option levy; a speaker urged the council to call it a "livability levy," while the city attorney explained that the Elections Division removed the word from safe-harbor review and that staff risk personal liability for advocacy outside safe harbor.
Councilors and members of the public discussed the upcoming May ballot measure 24-514, sometimes described in public materials as a "livability levy," during the March 24 city council meeting.
Councilor Nishioka, who introduced factual information on the measure, said staff cannot advocate for or against the levy but that a dedicated city webpage is available for factual information. "If you'll go to the City Of Salem, government, search for local option levy to find that webpage," Nishioka said.
Public commenter Jim Shepke urged…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
