CRANBERRY TWP — The township staff has proposed the 2014 budget with no tax increase.

Millage rates will remain at 13 mills with 8 mills being dedicated to the general fund, 2.12 mills to the fire company, 1 mill to the library, 0.85 mills to road equipment and 1 mill to township buildings.

The township hasn’t raised taxes since 2011 when millage rates rose from 10.65 to the current 13 mills.

A mill is equal to $1 for each $1,000 of assessed property value.

Township manager Jerry Andree told supervisors at their budget workshop session Tuesday night the township finished more than 30 capital improvement projects this year, which was one of the busiest on record.

Next year’s budget does include some major infrastructure enhancements and continues all township services at current levels.

This year’s general fund township operating budget is $24.4 million up slightly from this year’s $23.3 million.

The township’s special and enterprise budget funds that include: water, sewer solid waste, library, fire and transportation improvement project funds is $24.4 million, which is also up more than $1 million from last year’s $23.3 million.

There are no new employees included in the budget, keeping all departments at current staffing levels, said Andree.

Rates will remain the same for both water and solid waste customers.

Andree said the township is still waiting for estimated dollar cost of Brush Creek Water Pollution Control Facility enhancement and expansion project to determine if and how much another sewer rate increase will be necessary.

“We will probably know more in early 2014,” he said.

The township this past August raised its rates $7.16 per 1,000 gallons of water, an increase of $1.49 per 1,000 gallons. The average monthly cost for average homeowners increased from $35 to $43 per month.

That rate increase was in anticipation of the expansion project at the Brush Creek treatment plant on Powell Road.

But, that increase may not have been enough and an additional increase may be needed to cover the costs of the expansion project.

The plant is permitted to treat 3.5 million gallons of sewage per day. The township anticipates expanding capacity by a million gallons per day to 4.5 million gallons, a level it expects to reach in the next two years.

Although the township is working on an exact cost for the work, township officials have estimated the project could approach and may even exceed $20 million.

The design is expected to be complete by early 2014 with construction to follow in the summer. The upgraded plant will be in full operation by the end of 2015.

Other capital projects in next year’s budget focus on completing capital improvement projects that are either in design or under construction, including the new Cranberry EMS building, which is scheduled to be nearly completed in December, the municipal center/library renovation project, rehabilitation of the North Boundary water park, Route 228 corridor improvements and the Community Project of the Year, which will soon be announced by the Cranberry Township Community Chest.

The tentative budget will be considered for adoption by the supervisors at their meeting on Tuesday, with final budget adoption scheduled for the Dec. 11 meeting.