City & town
Salem City Council
- Vote for
- 2
- Term
- 4 years
- Candidates
- 5
- Election
- Nov 3, 2026
What this office does: The five-member city council sets Salem's budget, tax rates and ordinances and appoints the city manager.
Taxes & budget
Jonathan D. "J.D." TaylorNo party listed
- Supports broadening the tax base to lower property taxes.
Jeffrey K. Hoeflich-NickelsNo party listed
No documented position found.
Mark W. HenricksonNo party listed
No documented position found.
A.J. HarpoldNo party listed
- Opposes adding to residents' everyday costs.
H. Hunter Holliday IIINo party listed
No documented position found.
Education
Jonathan D. "J.D." TaylorNo party listed
- Opposes reopening council's decision against a school sales tax referendum.
Jeffrey K. Hoeflich-NickelsNo party listed
- Supports letting voters decide a school sales tax increase.
Mark W. HenricksonNo party listed
- Opposes holding a school sales tax referendum now.
A.J. HarpoldNo party listed
- Opposes a school construction sales tax referendum now.
H. Hunter Holliday IIINo party listed
No documented position found.
Housing
Jonathan D. "J.D." TaylorNo party listed
- Supports single-family housing and neighborhood center zoning.
- Supports council action against overdevelopment of rezoned sites.
Jeffrey K. Hoeflich-NickelsNo party listed
- Opposes new development without resident input and infrastructure capacity.
- Proposes rehabilitating dilapidated properties into housing first.
- Opposes relying on high-density development for housing.
Mark W. HenricksonNo party listed
- Supports timely inspections and reasonable building regulations.
A.J. HarpoldNo party listed
- Supports more varied housing for young professionals, seniors and families.
H. Hunter Holliday IIINo party listed
No documented position found.
Economy & jobs
Jonathan D. "J.D." TaylorNo party listed
- Proposes business license incentives and a machinery tax moratorium.
Jeffrey K. Hoeflich-NickelsNo party listed
No documented position found.
Mark W. HenricksonNo party listed
- Supports more hotel capacity to keep tourism revenue in Salem.
A.J. HarpoldNo party listed
- Supports new small businesses and remediating existing buildings.
H. Hunter Holliday IIINo party listed
No documented position found.
Roads & infrastructure
Jonathan D. "J.D." TaylorNo party listed
No documented position found.
Jeffrey K. Hoeflich-NickelsNo party listed
No documented position found.
Mark W. HenricksonNo party listed
- Supports investing in infrastructure to keep pace with growth.
A.J. HarpoldNo party listed
No documented position found.
H. Hunter Holliday IIINo party listed
No documented position found.
Environment & parks
Jonathan D. "J.D." TaylorNo party listed
No documented position found.
Jeffrey K. Hoeflich-NickelsNo party listed
No documented position found.
Mark W. HenricksonNo party listed
No documented position found.
A.J. HarpoldNo party listed
- Supports historic and natural preservation in Salem.
H. Hunter Holliday IIINo party listed
No documented position found.
Government & transparency
Jonathan D. "J.D." TaylorNo party listed
No documented position found.
Jeffrey K. Hoeflich-NickelsNo party listed
- Pledges council listening sessions in neighborhoods before development.
Mark W. HenricksonNo party listed
- Supports reviewing zoning ordinances for a modern city.
A.J. HarpoldNo party listed
No documented position found.
H. Hunter Holliday IIINo party listed
No documented position found.
Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 7 issues covered in this race.