Police department goals in 2025 township budget reviewed – Lehigh Valley Press

The Salisbury Township Police Department achieved full staffing at 21 officers in 2024 and looks to 2025 to complete several goals with a budget of $3,999,351, up from the 2024 projected budget of $3,664,811.

Salisbury Township Chief of Police Donald Sabo reviewed the police department budget and plans for 2025 at the Oct. 24 township board of commissioners' meeting workshop.

The 2025 draft budget presented by Salisbury Township Director of Finance Paul Ziegenfus at the workshop includes police department 2025 goals:

- Finish construction of police training facility and start to utilize it

- Train two new officers

- Continue crisis training

- Certify several officers as crime scene technicians

- Have all supervisors FBI certified

The budget includes police department accomplishments of 2024:

- Obtained a $150,000 grant for renovations to department offices

- Implemented new body cameras through a $120,000 grant

- Added school resource officer at St. Thomas More School

- Purchased three police vehicles

- Added two K-9 patrol dogs funded with donations

One of the biggest challenges will be funding new radios for police, emergency management and fire, which, the budget states "may be as high as $900,000."

Lehigh County "is seeking grants to help fund this project" and "will be providing low-interest loan options to municipalities," the budget states. "We will use 2025 to develop the final plan for this project with money to be budgeted starting in 2026," the budget states.

According to the budget narrative, the 2025 police department staffing budget is approximately $335,000 higher than that of 2024 partly because:

- The township is negotiating a new collective bargaining contract with the police officers to be effective Jan. 1, 2025. Salary increases are budgeted at 4% in the 2025 budget.

- The police pension MMO increased by approximately $50,000 over 2024.

- The health insurance budget increased by approximately $71,000 because of 10% increases in health insurance rates and additional officers covered under the plan.

Under the township information technology department, the budget is listed at $287,582 for 2025, up from $260,033 in 2024.

The draft budget states the township hired an IT specialist in 2022 and police department software and hardware purchases were placed in the IT department starting in 2023.

Goals for the township administration for IT department implementation include:

- New electronic purchasing software

- Upgrade police firewall

- Upgrade PCs and laptops to Windows 11

- Upgrade administration and police building camera systems

- Install better security controls such as cameras in parks

- Expand recreation department software for parks and recreation sign-up and management

- Tighten GIS software for utility department

The township administration reviewed its accomplishments in 2024, many of which involved IT, including:

- Increased the number of online bill payers

- Implemented new payroll software

- Implemented online platform for park pavilion rental reservations

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 Oct. 24 township meeting, Salisbury Township Manager Cathy Bonaskiewich told a reporter for The Press there would not be a township real estate tax increase in 2025.

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

"We will need to use prior-year reserves to cover a projected general fund deficit of approximately $400,000," Ziegenfus said in his executive summary in the 304-page township 2025 budget, a copy of which was provided to a reporter for The Press.

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.

The Salisbury Township municipal meetings update is: 7 p.m. Nov. 13, zoning hearing board, canceled; 7 p.m. Nov. 14, board of commissioners; 7 p.m. Nov. 26, board of commissioners, moved from Nov. 28 because of Thanksgiving holiday and 7 p.m. Nov. 27, planning commission, canceled.