There was a big sale at the South Mall and it benefited Salisbury Township residents.

Namely, this year's sale of the South Mall itself created a windfall budget surplus which will not only flatline residents' township taxes for 2015, but provide for capital improvements in the township.

Salisbury Township Manager Randy Soriano released a proposed $12,773,070 budget for 2015 for township operations keeping taxes at 1.611 mills overall.

The 2015 budget "holds the line on taxes," Soriano emphasized.

The general fund millage for funding a $7,142,720 General Operating Budget would remain at 1.34 mills.

If the 2015 budget and millage rate is approved by township commissioners, the owner of a home assessed at $180,000 will continue to pay $241.56. The contribution to the fire fund, based on .208 of a mill would be $37.40. The contribution to the library fund (which supports the Allentown Public Library) at .060 of a mill would be $10.80.

"We're not proposing a tax increase because we're not adding any personnel [to township staff in 2015]," Soriano said in his 30-minute budget presentation during the Oct. 23 township workshop.

Commissioners are to review the budget 7 p.m. Nov. 6, 13 and 20. After these meetings, the budget will be available for public review.

There is no Nov. 27 township meeting because of the Thanksgiving Day holiday.

Soriano said it is hoped the budget can be approved at the Dec. 18 meeting.

December meetings are 7 p.m. Dec. 4 and 18, not the regular second and fourth Thursday because of the Dec. 25 holiday.

The township's share of the earned income tax will remain at 1 percent and is estimated to bring in approximately $2.2 million.

Soriano, in unveiling the budget at the Oct. 23 workshop following the regular meeting, said the proposed 2015 spending plan continues to fund technology upgrades for township departments, replacement of heavy equipment, improvements to township infrastructure, including street paving, park repairs and new facilities and storm- water systems, the latter to reduce infiltration to meet the federal Environmental Protection Agency order for Salisbury and municipalities served by Lehigh County Authority. The deadline to meet the order is Dec. 31.

"We still don't know whether that [EPA deadline] will be extended," Soriano said. "It didn't start in 2009 [when the five-year EPA order originated] and it won't finish in 2014. This is a maintenance issue," Soriano said of stormwater infiltration.

Soriano called the proceeds from the $23.4-million sale in June of the South Mall by the Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust to Nicholas Park Mall LCC a "one-time revenue blip" generating $250,000 in real estate transfer taxes for the township.

The result is Soriano expects the township to end 2014 with a surplus. Soriano said the revenue windfall created a "sizeable reserve.

"The surplus will be put in capital projects for 2015," Soriano told township commissioners and officials during the preliminary budget review.

"We have funded most [township department] requests," Soriano said.

Soriano said he expects $12,062,200 in revenues for all funds in 2015, including $1.7 million in property taxes and $2.2 million in earned income taxes to be used to fund the general fund revenue of $6.8 million. The beginning fund balance will be $2.2 million for the general fund and $4.3 million for all funds.

In 2015, the township expects to spend $12.7 million, about $374,000 more than this year's outlay. This includes:

$2.25 million in insurance, benefits and transfers, including a $110,000 hike in pension obligations and $84,000 increase in health-care costs;

$2.4 million for public safety, including $1.87 million for the police department ($1.59 million, wages; $70,000, overtime); $30,000, fire inspection program; $148,150, planning and zoning, and $23,400, emergency management coordinator;

$1.25 million for the public works department, including four additional employees hired because of retirements;

$945,650 for administration ($422,000 in salaries); $137,000, legal and engineering; $26,000, data processing and $47,000, personnel administration;

Soriano predicted the township will end 2015 with a $3.6 million fund balance, of which $1.9 million is for the general fund.

All other funds (fire, water, sewer, debt, refuse and recycling highway) total $5.63 million.

Soriano said the refuse and recycling fund budget is uncertain because requests for bids were to have been put out Oct. 24. A pre-bid meeting is set for Nov. 3. It is hoped bids can be opened Nov. 24.

The capital improvement budget of $913,000 ($231,500 for debt service) includes $50,000 for upgrading the security and fire alarm system in the municipal building; $14,500, replace bulletproof vests for police officers; $20,000, billboard emergency alert messaging, $169,000, public works department new dump truck and backhoe, and $470,800, completion of Lindberg Park Master Site Phase 1 Perimeter trail (offset by $248,900 in Lehigh County and state grants).