Voters who live inside the Salem Area Mass Transit District will face a November special election on a proposed new tax on private business employers and self-employed workers. If approved, the district plans to use the funds for Cherriots  bus service on Saturdays, in the evenings, on Sundays and some holidays.

Two well-informed local citizens will debate the pros and cons of this measure at our meeting on Friday, Oct. 16^th.

If approved by voters, all private business employers and self-employed workers would pay a tax of  0.21% of payroll initially, about $5 million per year.  All governmental employers would be exempt. So would non-profit 501(c)(3) employers, except for hospitals. Under state law, the district board would be authorized to increase the tax rate up to .02% per year for 10 years.

If approved, the district plans to restore service on Saturdays and some holidays and a student bus pass program, which were provided prior to budget cuts in 2009. It also would add service in the evenings and limited service on Sundays.

Debaters will follow our usual debate format, with time slots for opening statements, answering two questions from the chair and one from each other, and closing statements. We will conclude with our standard audience question period.  Don't miss this chance to learn about an important local issue.

Kathy Lincoln will represent the Salem Area Mass Transit District Board, which placed the measure on the ballot.  She is a recently retired longtime Oregon Assistant Attorney General and a newly-elected member of the transit board.

T. J. Sullivan will represent the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce and the Create Jobs PAC in opposing the measure. He is co-owner of Huggins Insurance Co. and served on the Salem City Council from 2004 to 2010.