Salem Chamber once backed letting Cherriots impose taxes, but say agency broke promises of business involvement

Support from Salem’s largest business group years ago helped make the local transit agency able to tax businesses without voter approval.

But Salem Area Chamber of Commerce leaders are now pushing back against Cherriots’ current efforts to tax payrolls. They say Cherriots executives aren’t upholding deals made seven years ago when the two groups signed off on a bill that authorized the transit agency to impose taxes starting in 2026.

Current and past chamber leaders say Cherriots hasn’t done enough to involve business leaders on its board or seek community input on its tax proposal, something transit leaders disputed.

Now, the relationship between the Chamber and Cherriots is publicly tense after the agency recently announced plans to impose a tax early next year without a public vote