“Bottom line is, there’s no tax increases this year, no sewer rate increases this year,” Foster Township Supervisor Chairman George Hocker told residents during Monday’s regular meeting.

Supervisors summarized what residents will see likely see in the 2018 budget when they vote on it at December’s meeting.

The budget has not yet been finalized.

The proposed budget will be on display for 20 days before the supervisors vote on a final version in December.

Hocker encouraged any residents who have questions about the budget to call one of the supervisors or ask at December’s meeting.

The discussion included an outline of projects slated to happen in the township in 2018.

Hocker noted that of the $72,541 set aside in the police budget for pension, roughly 50 percent will be returned to the township in the form of state aid.

Supervisors had planned to purchase a police car in 2017, but the car was not purchased as planned and has been moved to the 2018 budget.

Also in the budget is a new truck for use by both the road and sewer departments; the two departments will share the cost. The departments will also both have use of a new mower attachment that is slated to be purchased.

Regarding 2018 road work, Hocker explained the township has chipped almost all its dirt roads in recent years and has fixed almost all its “major arteries. We only have one left to redo, and that will be Interstate Parkway,” he said. “It will be completed next year.”

Supervisor Gus Crissman explained later in the meeting that the township has set aside liquid fuels money to pay for the Interstate Parkway project.

According to Hocker, “Our roads are improving drastically.”

He noted that reserve funding for such projects will likely begin to build up, now that the township has caught up on some of its roadwork.

Under the sewer budget, Hocker said a sewer line will be moved as part of a bridge replacement project on Derrick Road, but the state will reimburse the township for most of the cost.

Crissman read a letter from the McKean County Conservation District informing the township it was awarded $30,723 under the Pennsylvania Dirt, Gravel and Low Volume Roads program, and Hocker explained that township officials were going to be trying to get more funding through the program for projects.

Hocker noted that the township has bridge replacement project coming up on Harrisburg Run and Fairview Heights, and some residents in those areas will be receiving packets of paperwork to fill out about their income.

“I’m not trying to find out your personal business,” Hocker said when he asked that residents take the time to fill the paperwork out. He explained that the information was just going to be used to see if the township qualified for grant money for the bridge projects.

Hocker explained that the township has not done a lot of sewer collection system work in recent years because the focus has been on sewer extension projects, but he anticipates the township will do more collection system repairs in 2018.

Looking at the money set aside in the preliminary budget for code enforcement wages and mileage, Supervisor Dale Phillips said, “I think we need to increase that for a more aggressive code enforcement presence.”

Phillips suggested having code enforcement work four to six days each month to address issues that are not complaint-driven.

Phillips also proposed increasing the $20,000 budget for solicitor legal fees due to the “number of frivolous” right-to-know requests the township has received recently. His issue is that the requests are being made for information that people could easily learn by calling the township or supervisors directly.

“I think we need to increase that by $5,000 for the coming year and hope we don’t use it,” Phillips said.

Supervisors also voted in favor of advertising new blight-related ordinances and an emergency ambulance service ordinance.

Code enforcement officer Bob Baker noted at the meeting that he’s recently made headway on two properties that have posed regular code enforcement issues.

They gave consent to hire Kenny Toothman as a full-time employee in the road department at $15 per hour effective Oct. 30.

Hocker noted at the meeting that township officials held an executive session Oct. 14 to hold interviews for the road department.

The next regular supervisors meeting is slated for 7 p.m. Dec. 4.