Salem business owners have until 11 p.m. Sunday, June 28, 2026, to respond to a city survey that could help shape how Salem handles sign permits and enforcement after months of complaints from local businesses.
The City of Salem survey is part of a Sign Code Process Improvement and Customer Service Assessment, a review being conducted with Baker Tilly. The review is looking at whether Salem’s rules for permanent and temporary signs are clear, whether the permit process is predictable and whether enforcement can be handled in a way that helps businesses comply without creating unnecessary confusion or cost.
For small businesses, the issue is practical. Signs are how customers find a storefront, how a new business announces it is open and how local operators compete for attention. When the rules feel unclear, owners can end up delaying signs, paying for extra help or avoiding the permit process altogether.
Business owners had raised concerns that Salem’s sign enforcement had become confusing, expensive and inconsistent. Some described repeated permit questions, unclear communication and uncertainty over what was required once a sign issue was flagged.
The city later paused sign code enforcement while it reviewed the process and gathered feedback.
Now that review is moving from complaints toward recommendations. Baker Tilly hosted two virtual focus groups June 24 and is collecting survey responses before preparing recommendations for the city. The survey gives residents and business owners a chance to share their experience with sign applications, permit requirements and code enforcement.
Jacquelyn McCray, a director with Baker Tilly’s public sector advisory practice, said the firm is reviewing both the internal process at City Hall and the experience of applicants, customers and community members who have to navigate the rules.
“The city is listening very carefully to the community, to all aspects of the community, about the impacts of the sign code,” McCray said.
The review is focused on several questions: whether sign requirements are easy to understand, whether the application process is efficient, whether enforcement is predictable and whether new businesses receive enough education before a sign issue becomes a violation.
McCray said Baker Tilly has interviewed city staff, city leadership, stakeholders, applicants, customers, the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce and others as part of the review. The firm has also been mapping how sign applications and enforcement cases move through City Hall.
“Our objective is to identify practical improvements to reduce friction, increase transparency and strengthen public trust,” McCray said.
The city’s sign code regulates the installation, construction, alteration and repair of business signage. The city says the rules are meant to protect public safety and property, improve the appearance of the community, help signs identify and advertise businesses, and remove signs that demand rather than invite public attention.
But the current review shows the city is also weighing how those rules are experienced by the businesses expected to follow them.
A draft report is expected to go to city leadership and the Community Planning and Development Department before a final version is released publicly.
For Salem business owners, the survey is the most direct opportunity left to influence the recommendations before they are written.
Survey link: https://mossadams.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6lrxSBkp6abFkWy
