The Adams Township Board of Supervisors approved a preliminary budget for 2022 at a meeting Thursday night.

The budget projects a total expense amount of $8,400,031 and a total income amount of $8,404,258, creating a surplus of $4,227. No tax increase is planned.

“It's pretty bulletproof,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Russell Ford. “I think it's a great budget.”

Highlights and larger expenses in the 2022 budget include funds set aside for a future new library, funds committed for the Route 228 project from the fire station to Quality Gardens, potential resurfacing of the all-purpose field at the Community Park, completion of the pickleball courts and infrastructure costs in the park and municipal building.

A total of $1 million was set aside for the “Library Building Fund,” and $500,000 was set aside for building and capital construction.

“We have been allocating on a yearly basis for big projects that we knew were coming,” Ford said. “(The new pavilions in the park), for example, that money has been set aside over the last two years, so that has been paid for. It's not like it's a big-ticket item coming up.”

Ford emphasized the work that had gone into the budget.

“This budget, we've gone through it with a fine-toothed comb,” Ford said. “There's not a line item on the budget that hasn't been analyzed and looked at. We did a deep dive on our phone bill; Darryl (Brandon) just went through a whole situation with our health insurance. Ron's (Shemela) going to be looking closely at our attorney bills and our engineering bills to be sure we're getting what we're paying for.”

Ford described infrastructure improvements as a priority for the township.

“Could we have cut and had a bigger surplus? Yes, but we need to continue to move down the path with infrastructure, and that is what we're trying to do,” he said.

The preliminary 2022 budget will be posted online shortly, and a final budget will be approved at a budget session on Dec. 21 at 8 a.m.