While taxes are not expected to increase as a result of the 2023 Salisbury Township budget, residents, businesses and nonprofit institutions can expect to pay more for water and sewer service.

The first reading of the Salisbury Township proposed 2023 budget was at the board of commissioners’ Nov. 10 meeting.

The 2023 township budget was expected to be available for public inspection as of Nov. 14 on the township website: https://www.salisburytownshippa.org.

The 2023 township budget was also expected to be available for public inspection during business hours weekdays as of Nov. 14 at the township municipal building, 2900 S. Pike Ave.

Township offices were closed Nov. 11 for the Veterans Day holiday.

Police and fire department budgets for 2023 were discussed at the Nov. 10 commissioners’ meeting workshop.

Further discussion on the 2023 township budget is expected at the 7 p.m. Nov. 22 board of commissioners’ meeting. The township meeting date was changed because of the Thanksgiving Day holiday, Nov. 24, which would have been the regular date for the second township meeting of the month.

Adoption of the 2023 budget is expected at the 7 p.m. Dec. 8 board of commissioners’ meeting, which is anticipated to be the last commissioners’ meeting of 2022.

The water rate hike is a pass-through increase from the Lehigh County Authority, which provides water to a majority of township residents.

In addition, the township is adding an increase of its own to fund township water system capital improvement projects.

The water rate will increase $56 in 2023.

The sewer rate will increase $16 in 2023.

The total increase is $72 in 2023.

In 2022, township water users are paying $7.35 per 1,000 gallons of water used.

“We bill the residents quarterly based on actual usage,” Salisbury Township Director of Finance Paul Ziegenfus said in an email to a reporter for The Press.

“Based on an 8.8 percent increase from Lehigh County Authority and the need to increase rates to cover future capital needs of the fund, we are proposing a new rate of $8.30 per 1,000 gallons. That is a $.95 increase.

“The increase for LCA is $.45 per 1,000 gallons and the amount of increase we are dedicating to capital is $.50 per 1,000 gallons,” Ziegenfus said.

“Based on a family that uses 15,000 gallons of water per quarter (average user), the impact of this increase will be $14 per quarter or $56 per year.

“In looking into the future, over the next five years, we will need to increase the rate by $.10 per 1,000 gallons each year to help keep up with capital needs,” Ziegenfus said.

“This year, we did about 3,400 square feet of water pipe replaced. We financed that through a bank note,” Ziegenfus said in a phone interview with a reporter for The Press.

“If we had money dedicated to pay for this, we wouldn’t have to borrow it,” Ziegenfus said.

Other township water department capital costs include utility trucks.

The township will also increase sewer rates for 2023.

In the email to a reporter for The Press, Ziegenfus explained the rationale for the sewer rate increase.

“Similar to the water fund, we are looking at dedicating a portion of sewer rates toward capital needs.

“Currently, residents tapped into the township sewer system pay a flat rate of $75 per quarter.

“The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection requires the township to spend a minimum of $250,000 on infiltration and inflow work and would like us to be spending $400,000.”

The township is required by the DEP to spend the range of these amounts annually to prevent infiltration and inflow into the sewer system.

“Based on the sewer system ongoing capital needs, we are requesting an increase of $4 per quarter to help us cover all operating and capital needs,” Ziegenfus said.

This would bring the sewer rate to $79 per quarter, or an increase of $16, for 2023.

“Looking into the future, we will need to increase the rate by $1.5 per quarter to help keep up with future capital needs,” Ziegenfus said.

Upcoming township meetings include the planning commission 7 p.m. Nov. 30 in the municipal building.