Borough Officials Expected to Approve Police Salary Ordinances Tuesday

Police salary ordinances for 2010 and 2011 are expected to be adopted by the council Tuesday following the recent completion of the arbitration process which took more than a year.

The salary ordinances were first introduced at the last mayor and council meeting in late June. Mayor Rose Heck had called the arbitration process “long and difficult.”

The ordinance for 2010 police salaries reflects a 2.25 percent increase for all patrolmen at different ranking levels and higher ranked officials including the captain, lieutenant and sergeant. The borough had previously allocated funds in the 2010 budget for the increases that year.

For 2011 the police department personnel will receive a 2.2 percent increase, and 2.2 percent increase for 2012 as well.

A separate ordinance fixed the salary for Police Chief Michael Colaneri also to reflect a 2 percent raise from 2010 to 2011.

Funding for the increases has already been budgeted and the police personnel will receive the increases retroactively if the salary ordinances are adopted.

Currently there are 29 police officers in the borough and previously there have been 32. Mayor Heck stated during recent budget talks that the department will remain at 30 members when the borough is in better financial shape.