Streetlight Fee on Monday's Salem City Council Agenda

(SALEM, Ore) — A proposed streetlight fee, which would cost single-family households in Salem about $2.80 per month, will be considered by Salem City Council.

The council on Monday will likely vote on scheduling a public hearing on the streetlight fee, tentatively planned for Feb. 23.

Salem has relied on the gasoline tax for both streetlights and road repairs.

The city's forecast for gas tax revenue, however, shows that gas tax alone won't be sufficient to pay for streetlights and road repairs.

Budget cuts have already prevented work crews from performing pavement maintenance in residential areas.

City staff have recommended a new revenue source to keep 10,550 city-owned streetlights operating.

The streetlight fee would appear as a new charge on city sewer and water bills paid by households and businesses. It would generate more than $1.76 million in revenue in its first year.

Revenue collected from the streetlight fee would be placed in a streetlight fund dedicated solely for the operation and expansion of the streetlight system.

Part of the funds would be used for upgrading city-owned streetlights to light-emitting diode lights, better known as LEDs, that would reduce energy costs Meanwhile, gas tax funds, previously used for streetlights, could be directed to street maintenance.

Street maintenance has sustained the brunt of recent budget cutting, losing all general fund support in the current fiscal year. The Public Works Streets Fund has had a recurring shortfall of $1 million since the end of fiscal year 2013-14.