BUTLER TWP — The rising price of road salt remains a major driver of a township roads budget request that exceeds $1 million, but superintendent Thomas Knights said he’s also in need of new equipment to tackle work on an aging stormwater management system.

“We’re certainly receiving and doing a lot more stormwater work,” Knights said. “That’s probably where the vast majority of the work has picked up.”

Last week Knights presented a department 2016 budget request of more than $1.4 million to township commissioners, an amount that would constitute nearly 18 percent of the $7.83 million dollar general fund 2016 budget that was discussed during a meeting last week.

The department’s request includes $59,700 for an asphalt roller, $9,950 for an 18,000 pound equipment trailer, $13,500 for a jackhammer attachment for the township’s excavator and $23,400 for three angle plows that will be used by the township’s dump trucks for snow removal.

In total, the department is asking for $114,634 in capital equipment purchases for next year. The remainder of the department’s budget request is tied up in material costs — like $236,460 worth of road salt — for road work and maintenance over the coming year.

Knights called it an “all need, not want,” proposal.

Commissioner Joseph Wiest agreed during discussion among commissioners.

“We need everything that he’s requesting,” Wiest said of Knights’ proposal.

Weist and Knights said the township’s commitment to repairing or replacing its aging storm sewer system as it repaves roads each summer is creating both short term and long term projects that require the equipment purchases.

This year the township spent $266,954 on capital equipment purchases for the department, including about $100,000 each for a new tractor and mower for highway work and a new asphalt paving machine.

Township manager Ed Kirkwood said the capital purchases — which this year will be split between general fund expenses and a special purchasing account — are a part of a plan to expand the township’s ability to perform more of its own public works projects.

“It’s just a balancing act and trying to achieve our goals, which is making sure we have the right tools to do our jobs,” Kirkwood said. “The big key here is that we’ve been able to do all those things across all the department that was requested without increasing our tax rate.”

Tax rates for the municipality were not discussed at the meeting. The township will present a proposed 2016 budget, which includes tax rates, on Monday. The commissioners expect to pass a final budget in December.

Knights said material costs, and in particular road salt, are the major drivers of the department’s budget each year. This year, Knights said, the price of salt for the township increased by $8, to nearly $79 per ton.