Salisbury Township Director of Finance Paul Ziegenfus has taken responsibility and apologized for erroneous tax bills sent by the township to residents.

“I just wanted to make a public apology about what happened. I’m ultimately responsible,” Ziegenfus said at the board of commissioners’ April 14 meeting.

“I can assure you that this mistake will never happen again,” Ziegenfus said.

“We know what happened. We know how to fix it. It’s unacceptable,” Ziegenfus said.

“Thank goodness that it was caught and we got the correction out quickly,” Ziegenfus said.

“This was an error on the township’s part. It was not the tax collector’s fault,” Salisbury Township Manager Cathy Bonaskiewich said.

“I responded to several persons concerning tax bills,” township Commissioner Alok Patnaik said.

“Corrected bills have already been mailed out and are printed on blue paper stock with the notation ‘Enclosed is your revised and corrected 2022 Salisbury Township Real Estate Bill. Please disregard the previously emailed bill’ printed on the back of the mailer in order to distinguish them from the original, incorrect tax bills,” Bonaskiewich stated in an email response April 11 to a question from a reporter for The Press.

The Salisbury Township administration announced in letters to residents and on the township website there was an error in the 2022 real estate tax bill.

The tax bill incorrectly stated the tax rate as 2.57 mills. The corrected tax bills states the tax rate is 2.92 mills.

“Unfortunately, the oversight occurred when the general fund portion of the total tax millage (2.57 mills) alone was included on the original billing in error, rather than the total millage of 2.92 mills (which also includes fire and library fund portions),” Bonaskiewich said in the email to The Press.

The website notice about the tax bill was updated April 11.

An April 5 letter to residents and a statement on the township website had stated:

“It has come to our attention that 2022 real estate tax bills for the township went out to residents with the incorrect tax millage rate.

“For anyone who has paid to date, we will communicate additional instructions to you.

“If your tax is paid by your mortgage escrow, we will be sending a revised bill to your mortgage company.

“The township apologizes for this oversight and any inconvenience this has created.

“If you have any questions, please contact the tax office at 610-871-0252 or the township office at 610-797-4000.”

During the public comment portion of the April 14 meeting, two residents voiced opposition to Franko Farm Park as a possible site for a township police department gun-firing practice range.

“I moved up here to get out of the city and have quiet enjoyment,” Marilyn Wolfe said, noting she’s a 5-year township resident. “I live within one mile of Franko Park,” Wolfe said.

“I am not sure how a gun range fits in Franko,” Wolfe said. “I hope the township finds a solution to support the police and prevent this plan.”

“Is an indoor range an option?” township resident Roger Schultz asked.

Salisbury Township Chief of Police Kevin Soberick said an indoor shooting range could cost $2 million.

“There’s a couple of places we are exploring. This [Franko] is just one of them,” Soberick said.

Referring to Unami Fish & Game Associates, 75 Chestnut Hill Road, where township police use the gun range, Soiberick said, “They are very generous, but there are just some things that are not suitable.”

Soberick said police must qualify in gun use twice per year.

“It would primarily be business hours, in groups of four or five,” Soberick said.

“My other concern is that you have baseball fields there [Franko] and people have picnics,” Schultz said.

“There’d be notice when training is happening,” Soberick said.

“There aren’t a lot of other places in the township,” Soberick said.

“There’s nothing here that we’re trying to be secretive about it. We’re planning,” Soberick said.

“This is twice a year with some other training,” Soberick said.

At the end of the public comment portion, Wolfe told a reporter for The Press a petition to oppose placement of a township police gun range in Franko Farm Park is being circulated and signed by neighbors.

Township officials have confirmed the Salisbury Township consulting engineering firm is drawing up plans for a Salisbury Township Police Department shooting range in Franko Farm Park.

Plans are preliminary, Salisbury Township officials said at the March 24 board of commissioners meeting when three persons, including two township residents and one Bethlehem resident, questioned officials about a township police practice range in Franko.

Township officials said if a proposal for a police shooting range in Franko Farm Park is devised, it would need to be presented for review by the township zoning hearing board and planning commission.

Township officials said at the March 24 meeting Franko Farm Park is one of the locations under consideration for a police gun practice range.

A new township police department shooting range was first mentioned in public meetings in fall and winter 2021 during discussions for the 2022 township budget.

“We’re in the design phase right now. Keystone is drawing up plans,” Bonaskiewich told a reporter for The Press before the March 24 commissioners’ meeting.

“When we have the plans, we’re going to bring them to a workshop for discussion with commissioners and the public,” Bonaskiewich said.

“The project would be the same as any development would be,” Salisbury Township Consulting Engineer David J. Tettemer of Keystone Consulting Engineers told a reporter for The Press before the March 24 commissioners’ meeting.

“It would be reviewed by the zoners, planners and commissioners,” Tettemer said.

“We’re just coming up with the plans. It’s very preliminary,” Tettemer said.

A firearms shooting facility is needed for practice and annual certification of township police officers, Soberick told a reporter for The Press before the March 24 commissioners’ meeting.

The Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners’ next scheduled meeting is 7 p.m. May 12.

The Salisbury Township Planning Commission’s next scheduled meeting is 7 p.m. April 27.