No township real estate tax hike is planned by Salisbury Township for 2025.

Rates for township water and sewer services are expected to increase.

No increase is anticipated for the refuse and recycling rate.

Salisbury Township Director of Finance Paul Ziegenfus previewed a draft of the 2025 township budget during the Oct. 24 township board of commissioners’ meeting workshop.

The meeting and workshop totaled more than three hours, 7-10:10 p.m. Oct. 24.

In addition to Ziegenfus reviewing the overall budget proposal, budgets for the police department, emergency management administration and instructional technology department were reviewed.

Budgets for the Salisbury Township Public Works Department, community development and the township volunteer fire companies are expected to be reviewed at the next township meeting 7 p.m. Nov. 14 in the meeting room of the municipal building, 2900 S. Pike Ave.

The timetable for the 2025 township budget is:

- 7 p.m. Nov. 14: First reading of the preliminary 2025 proposed budget, followed by advertising of tentative budget.

- 7 p.m. Nov. 26: Proposed budget discussion during workshop.

- 7 p.m. Dec. 12: Budget and tax ordinance presented for adoption.

The township tax rate for 2025 is expected to remain at 3.57 mills. Based on the average township tax assessment of $234,011, the average township real estate tax bill is $818.71.

The township increased taxes from 2.92 mills in 2023 to 3.57 mills for the 2024 budget.

After the workshop’s conclusion, a reporter for The Press asked if there would be a township tax increase in 2025.

“We’re not proposing one,” Salisbury Township Manager Cathy Bonaskiewich said.

The 2025 draft budget states, “The manager will be retiring in 2025 and we expect to hire her replacement before she retires.”

There is no apparent tax hike despite a $400,000 deficit in the 2025 township budget.

The 2025 general fund budget as stated is $11,392,650. That’s down from the 2024 general fund budget projected to be $11,636,712.

“As inflation continues and various capital needs of the township arose this year, we will need to use prior-year reserves to cover a projected general fund deficit of approximately $400,000,” Ziegenfus stated in his executive summary in the 304-page township 2025 budget, a copy of which was provided to a reporter for The Press.

“We were able to look for items to reduce or defer into future years and bring the budget deficit to $400,000 to be covered by prior year reserves,” Ziegenfus said.

“The draft budget does not include a real estate tax increase,” Ziegenfus said.

Ziegenfus said a water rate increase of 3% is expected from Lehigh County Authority.

“To cover the current and future costs of the water fund, we are proposing an increase of .0010 per gallon of water used. The current rate is .0087 per gallon,” Ziegenfus said. The new rate would be .0097 per gallon.

“The increased cost to a water customer that uses an average of 13,000 gallons per quarter is approximately $12.75 per quarter or $51 per year,” Ziegenfus said. A typical water customer now pays $110.78 per quarter.

Sewer fund expenditures have also increased, Ziegenfus said, “due to cost increases imposed by the Lehigh County Authority and City of Bethlehem.

“In addition, we are required to increase the amount spent on infiltration and inflow. This has been imposed on us by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection,” Ziegenfus said.

“Currently, the billable rate is $83 per quarter. We are proposing an increase of $6 per quarter to $89 per quarter,” Ziegenfus said.

No increase is seen for the refuse and recycling rate.

“We will be in year two of our three-year contract with Whitetail Disposal. Our current billable rate is $108 per quarter. We decided to set this rate for three years to residents,” Ziegenfus said.

Next week: More details on the Salisbury Township 2025 budget, including the Salisbury Township Police Department and information technology.