SALEM — Salem voters will decide the fate of the parks department’s 1-mill operational levy renewal in the upcoming May 6 primary election.

“I don’t know what we would do without the levy, it would be terrible [if the levy wasn’t renewed], and not just for the department and its employees, but for the people of Salem,” said Parks Director Kelli Pastore.

Early voting for the upcoming May 6 primary election is set to begin today, and among the issues to come before voters is the renewal of the 1-mill operational levy which funds the bulk of the department’s programming, including annual holiday programming and the Centennial Park pool. The operational levy is one of two levies which wholly fund the parks department, as it does not receive direct funding from the city’s general fund; the other being a 1.3 mill recreation levy last renewed by voters in 2022 which currently generates approximately $224,300 for the department annually.

“The levy funds pretty much everything we do each year — the trail of treats, the Easter egg hunt, art in the park. Without it there wouldn’t really be a parks department,” said Pastore.

Pastore said that without the levy the department would be restricted almost exclusively to attempting to maintain the parks and that “virtually all department programming” would have to be cut. She also said that if voters do not renew the levy the department would eventually have to begin eliminating positions as it attempted to get by on a shoestring budget, and that the department already operates with on seven full-time employees and one part-time employee.

The operational levy was last renewed by voters in 2020 and if renewed in May will collect approximately $224,000 for the department annually. As a renewal it would not cost taxpayers any more than they are already paying. Should voters elect not to renew the levy in May the department will still have an opportunity to present the question to voters again in November.