Across-the-board tax hikes are in the offing in 2018 for Salisbury Township residents: 7 percent annual millage increase, $2 per quarter garbage-hauling increase and a pass-along Lehigh County Authority water and sewer rate increase.

The proposed hikes received the consensus backing of four of five commissioners during the workshop of the Oct. 26 township meeting as part of the first public airing of the 2018 budget.

Deliberations on the 2018 budget are expected to continue at the next township meeting, 7 p.m. Nov. 9, when Salisbury Township Chief of Police Allen W. Stiles is to present the township police department 2018 budget request.

A vote by commissioners on the proposed 2018 township budget is expected at the 7 p.m. Nov. 21 township meeting. The meeting is being held on a Tuesday evening because the regular second Thursday evening meeting is Nov. 23, Thanksgiving Day.

Final adoption of the 2018 township and approval of the tax ordinance to enact it and proposed tax increases is expected at the 7 p.m. Dec. 28 township meeting. There’s also a township meeting expected to be held 7 p.m. Dec. 14.

After the Nov. 21 meeting, if the proposed 2018 township budget is approved, a copy of the budget is to be available for the required minimum 20-day public inspection at the township municipal building, 2900 S. Pike Ave., 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and on the township website, salisburytownshippa.org. The township office phone number is 610-797-4000. Commissioners’ phone numbers are listed on the township website.

Hikes detailed

Salisbury Township Director of Finance Paul Ziegenfus presented the proposed 2018 township budget as part of a nearly one-hour discussion at the Oct. 26 workshop. Commissioners were presented with copies of the 2018 budget.

Township millage for property owners would increase 7 percent, or 0.144850 mills, from 1.97515 mills to 2.12 mills.

Based on the township median residential property assessment of $234,093, the annual increase would be $34, from $462 to $496. Increases would vary, depending on the property assessment.

The 2018 township proposed general fund budget is $8.8 million, an increase of $400,000. The overall 2018 proposed township budget is $15.6 million.

The garbage-hauling fee is to increase $2 per quarter, from $65 to $67 per quarter. This is the result of the township’s two-year extension of the contract with Republic Services, which included increased fees for the garbage-hauling firm. The rate is less than the $85 charge per quarter for the township’s previous garbage-hauler, Waste Management.

The water and sewer quarterly charge is to increase 4.5 percent, from 6.05 cents to 6.30 cents per million gallons, as a result of increased charges to the township from Lehigh County Authority.

Capital Fund

If there was no tax increase to support the 2018 township budget, the township would incur a $153,000 deficit. With the tax increase, it’s projected the township will have a $36,000 surplus.

Having a surplus to establish a capital fund was a major part of the discussion during the workshop and seemed to be the main reason commissioners agreed to the tax hike.

“We don’t really have a capital fund established,” Ziegenfus said. “Any surplus we do end up with would be put into a capital fund.

“In the future, if there’s a need for revenue, we don’t have to increase it. This is a stepping stone,” Ziegenfus said of the 2018 tax increase.

“We’re getting to the point where the revenue is not keeping up with our expenses,” Salisbury Township Manager Cathy Bonaskiewich said.

Commissioners Joanne Ackerman, Debra Brinton, James Seagreaves and Commissioner Vice President Robert Martucci Jr. agreed by consensus to raise taxes for 2018 to balance the budget and set up a capital fund.

“The 2.12 mills increase is going to give us a bit of a cushion because we don’t have a way to increase revenue,” Brinton said.

“I’m fine with 2.12 mills,” Seagreaves said.

Officials reasoned the capital fund could buffer the township from possible cutbacks in county, state and federal grants and funding.

Casino grant

“Some of the grants are drying up,” Ziegenfus said. “The state has said it’s going to take most of the casino grant.”

Though the casino grant share appears to be included in the recently-approved Pennsylvania 2017-18 budget, those funds are expected to be controlled by the commonwealth and allocated to counties, which would presumably continue to distribute funds to municipalities deemed impacted by proximity to a casino.

In 2017, Salisbury Township received $118,363 from Lehigh County via fees paid by the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem to Northampton County, which shares a portion of the funds with Lehigh County.

The Earned Income Tax is expected to continue at 1 percent for 2018 in the township.

The Local Service Tax is expected to continue at $52, with $42 allocated to the township and $10 to the Salisbury Township School District.

Salisbury Township raised taxes in 2013, held the same tax rate in 2014 and 2015, raised taxes in 2016 and held the same tax rate in 2017.

The 2.12 mills in Salisbury would compare to 2.8 mills in Whitehall Township, 7.09 mills in Bethlehem Township and 1.369 mills in Upper Saucon Township.

Proposed outlays

“We met with [Salisbury Township] department heads and asked them to sharpen their pencils and cut costs,” Ziegenfus said of the budget process.

The 2018 budget includes a 3 percent cost-of-living increase for police and 3.25 percent increase for non-uniformed employees.

The police department has $200,000 earmarked to purchase the Eisenhower Avenue property from Western Salisbury Fire Department, scrapping a plan for an auxiliary police building at Eastern Salisbury Fire Company, East Emmaus Avenue and Honeysuckle Road, where site preparation costs were prohibitive. With expansion of the Swain station, Western Salisbury doesn’t need the Eisenhower facility.

Also, for the police department, there’s $69,155 for seven bulletproof vests and $55,000 for body cameras and associated equipment.

A police officer would be hired to replace an officer who resigned and a new officer would be hired under the proposed budget.

The public works department would get a new utility truck for $55,000 and a dump truck for $70,000.

A new employee would be hired for public works.

The fire fund budget is to increase from $277,000 to $279,000.

The library fund budget is to increase from about $80,000 to $81,000.

Lindberg Park

The final phases of the Lindberg Park project are expected to cost $869,000, with $637,000 of that provided by grants, for a shortfall of about $232,000, which is allocated in the 2018 township budget.

The William H. Laubach and Franko Farm Park Master Plan awaits implementation.

“Can we see about applying for grants for Laubach?” Ackerman asked.

“We’re definitely going to. I’m not prepared to apply now,” Bonaskiewich said.

Martucci asked about the status of the hydrology study for Laubach.

“That’s the first and most important step. We’ve got to find out how to address stormwater issues,” Bonaskiewich said.

Ziegenfus said the 2018 budget appropriates $25,000 for instructional technology. “We’ve had some viruses and other issues that make us concerned. We have some outdated equipment,” Ziegenfus said.

“I’d like to see if we can cut the budget by 3 percent. We should look to cut costs two to three percent,” Ziegenfus said. “I know that doesn’t help for 2018.”