City of Salem Ohio

What City of Salem Ohio does

The City of Salem, Ohio is an incorporated municipal corporation operating under a mayor-council form of government in Columbiana County, serving a population of approximately 12,000+ residents. Founded in 1806 by Zadok Street and John Straughan and formally incorporated in 1830, the city delivers the full portfolio of essential municipal services through dedicated departments: Fire & EMS (16-person career staff), Police Department (23 full-time and 6 part-time officers), Utilities (water treatment, wastewater, stormwater), Parks & Recreation (375+ acres including a 220-acre city lake), Building Department (via Elevate Building Solutions), Planning & Zoning (HPZ), Health District, Housing, and Administrative offices at City Hall (231 S. Broadway Avenue). Operating expenditures are funded primarily through a voter-approved 1.25% municipal income tax (with a 0.25% street-improvement earmark), utility bill payments (processed via Invoice Cloud), permits and fees, parks and recreation charges (e.g., pool passes, pavilion rentals), and governmental aggregation revenue (electric via Dynegy through Dec 2027; natural gas via IGS Energy through June 2027). Income tax administration is outsourced to the Regional Income Tax Agency (RITA) under a partnership effective January 2021.

The city's technology stack is conventional municipal SaaS: iWorq portals for permit issuance and code enforcement, TextMyGov SMS notification service, livestreamed Council meetings archived on YouTube, civic testing through National Testing Network, fiber-optic internet rollout by Omni Fiber, and FirstEnergy-based streetlight outage reporting. There is no proprietary software product, no public or partner-facing API, no mobile app, and no AI/ML capability disclosed. Service delivery uses a hybrid model combining in-person City Hall transactions, online self-serve portals, and field operations across public safety, streets, parks, and utilities. Citizens elect the Mayor (currently Cyndi Baronzzi Dickey, elected November 2023) and City Council, while department heads — including the Fire Chief, Police Chief, Utilities Superintendent, Parks Director, Law Director, Auditor, and Treasurer — are appointed or retained under civil service rules. The organization also engages in economic development partnerships with the SOD Center, the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce, and Visit Salem Ohio, and operates resident-engagement programs including Adopt-A-Street, recycling, special events permitting, and the 2026 America 250 commemoration.

Name

City of Salem Ohio

Legal name

City of Salem, Ohio

Website

https://cityofsalemohio.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1806

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The City of Salem, Ohio is an incorporated municipal government serving approximately 12,000+ residents in Columbiana County with police, fire, utilities, parks, and administrative services funded through a 1.25% income tax and various fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Government Administration

NAICS

Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (924110), Waste Treatment and Disposal (56221)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

City/Municipal Public Health Departments (HLAJAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Landfill Disposal (BPALACAA), Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Landfills (Non-hazardous) (EUAIACAB)

Keywords

• Municipal government services
• Public safety services
• Utility services
• Parks and recreation
• Community development

Headquarters

HQ city

Salem

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Municipal Income Tax: City income tax at 1.25% rate (0.25% dedicated to street paving, curbs, sidewalks, alleys, and parking lots). Mandatory filing for individuals and businesses.
2. Utility Services Revenue: Water, wastewater, and related utility services provided by Salem Utilities Department
3. Parks and Recreation Fees: Pool admission fees, season passes, pavilion rentals, and lake recreation fees
4. Gas and Electric Aggregation: City negotiates collective rates with Dynegy (electric) and IGS Energy (gas) for residents and small businesses
5. Building Permits and Fees: Commercial building permits, plan review fees, certificate of occupancy applications through Elevate Building Solutions

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The City of Salem, Ohio is a municipal government entity that provides essential public services to its residents and businesses, including fire and police protection, water and sewer utilities, parks and recreation facilities, street maintenance, and administrative services. Founded on April 30, 1806, the city serves a population of more than 12,000 residents through elected officials and municipal departments.

Product overview

City of Salem Ohio operates as a municipal government providing a comprehensive portfolio of public services organized into distinct departments. The city's offerings are not commercial products but rather essential civic services. The core service portfolio includes Public Safety (Fire & EMS, Police Department), Utilities (water treatment/distribution, wastewater treatment, stormwater management), Parks & Recreation (375+ acres across multiple facilities including pools and parks), and Administrative Services (City Council, Mayor's Office, Law Director, Auditor, Treasurer). Supporting services include Building Department (permits/inspections through Elevate Building Solutions), Planning & Zoning, Health District, Housing Services, Income Tax processing (via RITA partnership), and resident programs like TextMyGov text messaging, Gas/Electric Aggregation programs, recycling, and snow removal. The city also operates tourism promotion through TABS and special events coordination. All these services are funded through municipal taxes (1.25% income tax rate plus 0.25% for streets), fees, and grants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fire Department Services Fire suppression, emergency response, fire prevention, and public fire safety education services for city residents and businesses.
• Police Department Services Law enforcement, crime prevention, emergency response, and community policing services for city residents.
• Water and Sewer Utilities Municipal water supply, wastewater treatment, and sewer utility services provided to residents and businesses within the city.
• Parks and Recreation Services Operation and maintenance of public parks, recreational facilities, and community recreation programs for city residents.
• Street and Infrastructure Maintenance Public street maintenance, snow removal, road repair, and general municipal infrastructure upkeep.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Regional Income Tax Agency (RITA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021The City of Salem partners with RITA for all city income tax payments and tax form processing effective January 1, 2021. RITA provides electronic filing and payment systems for city residents and businesses. RITA can be contacted at (800) 860-7482.
• National Testing NetworkcoreTechnology or IntegrationThe Civil Service Commission of Salem contracts with National Testing Network to maintain current eligibility lists for Fire and Police departments. Candidates register online through nationaltestingnetwork.com to take civil service exams.
• Elevate Building SolutionscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerElevate Building Solutions provides building department services including commercial building permits, plan reviews, and inspections. Located at 440 Pennsylvania Avenue inside the SOD Center. Contact: 330-537-1536.
• SOD CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEconomic development partner providing business support services and housing the Building Department. Located at 440 Pennsylvania Avenue, Salem, OH.
• Chamber of Commerce (Salem Ohio)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal business organization listed as Eco Dev partner on city website for business development support and networking.
• Visit Salem OhiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTourism promotion partner listed as Eco Dev link. Promotes tourism events and activities in the Salem area.
• DynegycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDynegy selected as retail electric service provider for 18-month program (June 2026 - December 2027) offering fixed rate of 0.0979/kWh for Salem residents and small businesses.
• IGS EnergycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIGS Energy selected as natural gas provider for 18-month program (January 2026 - June 2027) offering fixed rate of 0.658/ccf for Salem residents and small businesses.
• Carroll-Columbiana-Harrison Solid Waste DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSolid waste district provides recycling containers at the city's recycling center. The center is located next to the Salem Fire Department.
• Omni FiberminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOmni Fiber is a fiber-optic internet service coming to Salem. Construction teams will access utility easements for installation. Homeowners can contact 855-382-0129 or visit omnifiber.com/construction.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• City of East Liverpool: Ohio Rust Belt river city of ~10,000 residents in Columbiana County with similar legacy-manufacturing decline, municipal utility operations, and small-city budget profile. Closest demographic and economic peer to Salem.
• City of Shelby: Richland County, Ohio city of ~9,000 with comparable municipal income tax, parks/recreation system, and small public-safety workforce; demographic and economic peer for benchmarking.
• City of Columbiana: Neighboring Columbiana County municipality, Ohio, of comparable small-town character (~6,000 residents). Similar mix of police, fire, utilities, parks, and zoning services; useful benchmark for Salem's cost-of-service and tax-rate positioning in-county.
• City of Struthers: Mahoning County, Ohio city of ~10,000 with similar small-city municipal service mix, income tax dependency, and post-industrial demographic profile.
• City of Steubenville: Ohio river city of ~18,000 with comparable industrial-era tax base, municipal water/sewer utility, and small public-safety workforce. Comparable service-portfolio scale and demographic trajectory.
• City of Niles: Trumbull County, Ohio city of ~18,000 with similar Rust Belt industrial history, municipal income tax, and small fire/police/utility organization. Useful comparable for staffing and budget benchmarking.
• City of Dover: Ohio city of ~12,000 in Tuscarawas County with comparable population, municipal income tax, parks/recreation footprint, and small-city administrative structure. Tight demographic comparable.
• City of Orrville: Wayne County, Ohio city of ~8,500 with comparable industrial/manufacturing legacy (Smith Dairy, J.M. Smucker), municipal income tax structure, and small-city utility operations.
• City of Martins Ferry: Belmont County, Ohio river city of ~6,500 with comparable small-municipal operating model, including in-house water/sewer and parks. Useful micro-city benchmark.
• City of Alliance: Northeast Ohio city of ~21,000 with similar municipal income tax, aggregation program, full-service fire/police, and parks system. Closest mid-sized Ohio analog for service-portfolio breadth.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@salem-ohio
• Facebookfacebook.com/cityofsalemohio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about City of Salem Ohio