Salisbury Township property owners whose properties utilize public water and sewer can expect an average $85 increase in taxes and services in 2020.

The estimated total increase is based on increases in taxes for the Fire Fund and General Fund and pass-along charges in public water and sewer rates increases from Lehigh County Authority.

The Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners voted 4-0, with one commissioner absent, to approve the proposed 2020 budget at the Nov. 14 meeting.

Commissioners also voted 4-0 to advertise in a general circulation newspaper the availability of the 2020 budget for public review.

A copy of the budget is also available to read at the township municipal building, 2900 S. Pike Ave. The draft of the 2020 budget was also to be available as of Nov. 15 for reading and downloading at the township website at salisburytownshippa.org.

The proposed budget must be available for public scrutiny for 20 days prior to it being adopted, as required by Pennsylvania law.

Salisbury commissioners plan to vote on the 2020 budget at the 7 p.m. Dec. 12 township meeting. Commissioners plan to cancel the Dec. 26 township meeting.

The next scheduled township meeting is Nov. 26 due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

The 2020 budget was discussed for about 45 minutes during the workshop following the Nov. 14 meeting. Discussion concentrated on the Public Works Department budget and township tax hikes for 2020.

Commissioners met in executive session after the workshop to discuss personnel and legal matters, according to board of commissioners President Debra Brinton, who was re-elected in the Nov. 5 general election.

Also discussed during the workshop was extending the Republic Services refuse and recycling contract with the township.

Salisbury Township Manager Cathy Bonaskiewich said township officials would like additional time to negotiate the contract with Republic officials. She told commissioners she thinks details can be worked out by June 30, 2020. Commissioners agreed by consensus the trash contact could be extended until Dec. 31, 2020, if necessary for negotiations.

Bonaskiewich said she does not expect an increase in trash collection fees for township residents in 2020.

Salisbury Township Director of Finance Paul Ziegenfus said water and sewer fees raised by LCA will be passed along for township residences that utilize the services.

Some properties on the township’s east side are served by the Bethlehem Authority of the City of Bethlehem.

Some properties on the township’s west side are served by the Emmaus Borough Water Department, which is also expected to be affected by LCA hikes.

Some Salisbury residents’ properties have water wells and septic systems.

In 2020, for Salisbury properties served by LCA, water rates are to be raised by $6 quarterly, or $24 annually, and sewer rates are to be raised by $3 quarterly, or $12 annually.

In addition, for all Salisbury property owners, on average, taxes for the township fire fund are to be raised by $18, or 0.081 of a mill, and for the township General Fund, by $31, or 0.14 of a mill. The increases are based on the $225,000 median assessment of properties in the township.

The estimated $85 increase in taxes and fees, on average, is derived from adding together the $24 water rate hike, the $12 sewer rate hike, the $18 fire fund hike and the $31 General Fund hike.

“I don’t want to have to raise taxes each year,” Brinton said.

“We don’t want to sock people,” Bonaskiewich said.

“I’m happy with the 0.14,” Brinton said.

“I’m good with the $85 increase,” Commissioner James Seagreaves said.

“We try very hard to be fiscally responsible and not burden people, but we must provide for the future,” Brinton said.

“We do provide a quality service,” Bonaskiewich said.

“We provide leaf pickup and twice-weekly trash pickup,” Brinton noted.

“The budget does have a tax increase, but that’s for a deficit,” Bonaskiewich said.

Ziegenfus explained to a reporter for The Press after the Nov. 14 meeting that he’s projecting a $300,000 shortfall for the general fund in the 2020 budget.

Even with the tax hike, there is an estimated $133,000 shortfall.

The funding gap would be made up by taking money from the township reserve fund, which is estimated at about $900,000 as of Dec. 31.

The $133,000 shortfall is an estimate and could be less depending on actual 2020 expenses and revenue.

The township capital fund is expected to increase by $500,000.

“I’m going to look hard to see if there’s anything else to reduce,” Ziegenfus told The Press concerning the 2020 budget.

The 2020 General Fund Budget is $8,400,947 and, combined with all budget categories, the total 2020 budget is $16,696,970.

Ziegenfus explained to a reporter for The Press before the Nov. 14 meeting township employee salaries are increasing on average 3.5 percent to 3.75 percent and employee’s health insurance is increasing on average 12.9 percent in 2020.

Ziegenfus said the setup of the 2020 budget might appear slightly different from the 2019 budget because items such as employee insurances (health, and life and disability, workman’s compensation), pensions and social security are listed as line items for each township department.

Salisbury Township Director of Public Works John Andreas highlighted three areas of the department’s 2020 budget, including an estimated $250,000 for township road and street improvements and replacement of paver equipment and a pickup truck. These items are to be paid for from the township Liquid Fuels Tax Reserve, estimated at $861,000. Purchase of a leaf blower is expected to be paid for by a grant.

“John [Andreas], as usual, hasn’t asked for much. No staff increases,” Ziegenfus said of the Public Works Department 2020 budget.

“I just want to make sure you have enough to repair the streets,” Brinton said to Andreas.

Andreas said the fall leaf collection is proceeding in the township.

“I was wondering if the leaves were going to fall. And then we had a storm and it got windy. We may be done early this year,” Andreas said.