A tax hike of an average $120 annually is under consideration by the Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners.

The revenue is for hiring two township police officers and funding township capital projects, i.e., infrastructure improvements, according to township officials.

Also, as part of the proposed 2022 township budget, water rates will increase 35 cents per 1,000 gallons, or approximately $7 per quarter and $28 annually. The water rate increase is a pass-along hike from the Lehigh County Authority.

“The water rate is increasing to keep up with LCA,” Salisbury Township Manager Cathy Bonaskiewich said.

Refuse rates will not increase. Rates were increased as part of the 2021 budget.

Details of the 2022 budget are forthcoming. The budget was discussed at the commissioners’ Oct. 14 township workshop.

The township commissioners’ next scheduled meeting is 7 p.m. Oct. 28 in the meeting room of the municipal building, 2900 S. Pike Ave.

The first reading of the preliminary 2022 proposed budget will be at the commissioners’ 7 p.m. Nov. 10 meeting. After that, the budget will be available for public inspection on the township website and at the municipal building.

The meeting is being held on a Wednesday and not on the first Thursday, which would be Nov. 11, Veterans Day, when it would normally be held.

A budget discussion is to be held during the workshop at the 7 p.m. Nov. 23 commissioners’ meeting. The meeting is being held on a Wednesday and not on the second Thursday, which would be Nov. 25, Thanksgiving Day.

The 2022 budget and tax ordinance for adoption is to be presented at the 7 p.m. Dec. 9 commissioners’ meeting. If not adopted, it will be presented at the scheduled 7 p.m. Dec. 23 commissioners’ meeting.

After the Oct. 14 commissioners’ meeting, Salisbury Township Director of Finance Paul Ziegenfus talked about the tax hike.

“We didn’t have to raise taxes more because we have COVID money that will help offset and pay for capital projects,” Ziegenfus said to a reporter for The Press.

The $120 average annual tax hike, which is $10 per month, for 2022 is based on the township median residential property valuation of $235,000.

The increase is 0.50 of a mill, from 2.42 mills to 2.92 mills. The 0.50 mill is: 0.25 mill for township police hires and 0.25 mill for township capital improvements.

At the July 22 township commissioners’ meeting workshop, Ziegenfus briefed township officials about the 2022 budget and an anticipated $1.45-million windfall in COVID-19 relief funds.

Commissioners approved capital projects for infrastructure improvements, including $550,000 in township road work, at the July 22 meeting.

Salisbury Township received approximately $727,000 in COVID-19 relief funds in the American Rescue Plan Act. The remainder of the $1.45 million is to be received in 2022.

The funds can be spent for infrastructure improvements, such as water and sewer projects and stormwater projects. The township is eligible to apply for lost revenue.

During the Oct. 14 workshop, Ziegenfus briefed commissioners on township capital improvements needed.

“We have a lot of capital improvements needs in the township. I’m proposing that we set aside money,” Ziegenfus said.

“Technically, we should have a capital fund for each department,” Commissioner Alok Patnaik said.

The township would add approximately $318,000 from the 0.25 mill hike to the capital improvements fund.

“We have dedicated that 0.25. We are going to take $318,000 and put it in the capital reserves fund,” Bonaskiewich said.

Salisbury Township Director of Public Works Jim Levernier briefed commissioners about the public works department needs in the 2020 budget.

Laubach Park stormwater improvements are pegged at $400,000.

“First, we have to deal with the water. Then, we can improve the park,” Levernier said.

Paving township roads in 2022 includes 4,200 tons of material.

“With 4,000 tons of material, we should get two miles,” Levernier said. Salisbury has 82 miles of township roads.

“There’s a lot of roads and there are a lot of repairs needed,” Levernier said.

Concerning road-line painting, Levernier said, “Since it hadn’t been done for several years, we did everything this year.”

The 0.25 portion of the mills in the tax increase will fill two vacant positions in the township police department.

Commissioners voted 5-0 unanimously to offer a conditional offer of employment to two entry level officers from the eligibility list: Kyle Sabulsky and Kyle Watson.

“My thanks to the board,” Salisbury Township Police Chief Kevin Soberick said.

“We have been short two officers for some time,” board of Commissioners President Deb Brinton said.

In his report to the commissioners, Soberick said township police investigated loud noise complaints along Constitution Drive. “It’s something we’re working on,” Soberick said.

Township Trick or Treat Night is 6-8 p.m. Oct. 29 in Salisbury.

In the meeting’s officials’ comments portion, Brinton noted residents’ complaints continue about township recycling and trash pickup.

“We are trying to do the best we can,” Brinton said.

“I’d like to note the rude emails I’ve received,” Commissioner James Seagraves said. Seagreaves named the alleged person.

“I appreciate how professional Cathy [Bonaskiewich] has been handling them,” Seagreaves said.

“I realize how frustrating this is. But we [township officials] do not need to be threatened,” Brinton said.

In other business, Salisbury Township Assistant Manager Sandy Nicolo reported on and showed photos to commissioners of two properties, 1325 Garden St. and 1913 Duffield Court.

“We did before-and-after photos. The owners will be charged for the cleanups,” Nicolo said.

During the meeting’s public comment portion, township resident Jacqueline Straley complained about what she described as a pop-up shop at the Girl Scouts’ Mountain House camp along West Rock Road, west of the Interstate 78 Interchange in the Summit Lawn area of Salisbury.

“You cannot have a shop in the CR [Conservation Residential Zoning] area,” Straley said.

Salisbury Township Solicitor, Attorney John W. Ashley said, “If you believe there is something wrong, you can file an appeal to the [township] zoning hearing board.”

“What you’re objecting to is for parents to pick up pins and badges,” Commissioner Heather Lipkin said.

“Essentially, you’ve got to go to the zoning hearing board,” commissioners’ Vice President Rodney Conn said.

Commissioners voted 5-0 at the Oct. 14 meeting to approve a resolution for a plan revision for an on-lot septic system planning module at 2368 W. Rock Road.

“This is the Girl Scouts and it is to allow them to put in toilets,” Brinton said.

The planning module is part of the Girl Scouts Of Eastern Pennsylvania project to build “Adventure Place at Mountain House” at its camp along West Rock Road.

Township residents Jane Benning and Straley objected.

“This is a required portion of the planning module,” Salisbury Township Consulting Engineer David J. Tettemer said, referring to Act 537, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Sewage Facilities Act, which is intended to address sewage disposal problems and prevent future problems.

“This does not approve the module and it does not approve the plan,” Tettemer said.

“If the DEP approves it, then the township will review it,” Tettemer said.

“It’s called a sewage facilities plan,” Bonaskiewich said.

“So, basically, Act 537 is a map?” Lipkin asked.

“Yes, and we note on that map that this exists,” Tettemer said.

Also discussed at the Oct. 14 meeting, commissioners voted 5-0 to approve:

•Selling five pieces of public works equipment, which include a leaf machine, Gravely lawn mower, Kubota tractor, Toro lawn mower and leaf machine motor.

•Payment of Kevin Hosten litigation. “Once improvements are done, we will set a meeting to allow final inspection. We have agreed to a judgment that will take five years,” Ashley said.

•Payment No. 1 of $101,310.21 to Insituform Technologies, Inc. for the 2021 Sanitary Sewer Rehab Cured-In-Place Pipe Lining Contract. The contract was originally for $90,000. “While they were there, they did some area work that we wanted. The project is done. They did a very good job,” Tettemer said.

The 7 p.m. Oct. 20 Salisbury Township Environmental Advisory Council meeting is canceled.