Government » Departments & Agencies

Legal Department

Salem’s Legal Department provides legal services to the City of Salem, Urban Renewal Agency and Salem Housing Authority and maintains official records documenting the work of the City government.

Divisions and Functions

The Legal Department provides a wide variety of services that benefit the City directly and serves the residents of Salem.

Legal Services

The Legal Department provides general counsel and civil litigation services to City departments and prosecutes misdemeanors under the City’s code and State of Oregon traffic laws. Attorneys for the City:

  • Prepare and review legal documents such as contracts, ordinances and resolutions
  • Provide legal advice and counsel to the organization
  • Prosecute quality of life crimes affecting residents, neighborhoods and businesses such as driving under the influence of intoxicants, trespass, traffic, reckless driving and other crimes
  • Begin litigation on the City’s behalf and defend claims against the City in state and federal courts

You can request discovery documents related to your Salem municipal court case.

Legal Assistance for Residents

We cannot provide legal advice to the public. If you have legal questions or need legal advice, you may contact the following organizations:

Oregon State Bar - Lawyer Referral Service
503-684-3763
1-800-452-7636

Marion/Polk Legal Aid
1655 State St.
Salem, OR 97301
503-581-5265
1-800-359-1845

Official Records

The City recorder oversees records management for the City and maintains records of official acts of the City of Salem, Urban Renewal Agency and the Salem Housing Authority. Records include agendas and minutes of public meetings, ordinances, resolutions, orders, deeds, easements and agreements.

The City recorder is also the City’s elections officer, the City’s records manager and archivist, and maintains and distributes the Salem Revised Code.

Procedures for Ethics Opinion Applications

A City public official may apply to the Salem Hearings Officer for an advisory opinion concerning the applicability of the provisions of SRC Chapter 12.

How to apply to the Hearings Officer:

The public official shall file a written application with the City Recorder’s Office at:  

City of Salem
City Recorder
c/o Customer Service Center
440 Church Street, Suite 500
Salem, OR 97309-3986

  • The application shall include the basis for the filing and include all relevant facts and any provision of SRC Chapter 12 that the public official believe may apply.
  • The application shall be accompanied by a non-refundable filing fee, as set forth in the Master Fee Schedule for the Hearings Officer Ethics Opinion, in the amount of $405.00.

Hearings Officer Review:

The Hearings Officer will review the application; the Hearings Officer shall have the following powers and duties:

(a)   To request additional information;

(b)  To receive and investigate complaints of violations of this chapter, and transmit findings and recommendations, if any, to the City Manager or Council, as appropriate; and

(c)   To issue decisions in the form of advisory opinions or interpretations with respect to application of SRC Chapter 12.

(d)   The Hearings Officer may by order limit the minimum size of, or otherwise establish criteria for, or identify, a class of officials that an exception to the provisions of SRC Chapter 12 may apply, however, that if the public official has obtained an opinion from the Oregon Government Standards and Practices Commission as to that public official's membership in a class, the public official may rely upon that opinion in determining whether a class exists under this subsection.

Hearings Officer’s Opinion:

The Hearings Officer’s decision is final and not subject to appeal. The Hearings Officer shall issue a written decision on an application for an advisory opinion or interpretation within 45 business days from receipt of the filing and any additional information requested by the Hearings Officer.