Following a series of corruption scandals in the PLN, Salas joined the exodus from the party. Salas became a member of the PAC. He served as a cantonal and provincial delegate as well as a legal adviser to the Tibás municipality's PAC fraction. He was later elected register in February 2006. He was elected president of the City Council in May 2006. In December 2007, he became mayor of Tibás. Among his goals as mayor, Salas wanted to modernize the city with infrastructure improvements.