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Council defers hiring decision for full‑time police officer as stormwater repair costs factor in
Summary
Council members discussed why a prior motion to hire a full‑time officer failed and said the candidate remains eligible to test in a consortium; several councilors said concerns about recent stormwater repair costs affected willingness to add a full‑time hire, and no hiring motion was recorded as carried.
A decision to add a full‑time police officer remained unresolved after discussion at the Union City Borough Council meeting on July 23, 2024.
Resident Jeremy Sterling asked council what the outcome would be after a reported failed motion to hire another officer. Mayor Robert Wolf said the candidate had gone through testing and evaluations and described the person as a good candidate who plans to test in the consortium. Wolf and the Police Chief, the minutes note, had discussed the borough’s need for additional full‑time coverage.
Several councilors raised budgetary concerns tied to recent stormwater problems. Councilor Melissa Winkler said she had not been aware the borough was pursuing another hire and expressed concern about costs related to stormwater issues. Councilor James Kerns likewise cited worries about pending stormwater repairs and unexpected costs; council discussed that the decision not to proceed was driven by those budgetary concerns rather than objections to the candidate personally.
The minutes do not record a subsequent motion to hire or a vote on the candidate at the July 23 meeting. The Police Chief provided the June 2024 departmental report during the meeting; no questions were recorded in the minutes. Follow-up on hiring and the borough’s staffing plans was not scheduled in the published minutes.
