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Mayor and residents press council over decision not to hire another full‑time police officer
Summary
Mayor Robert Wolf and at least one resident urged the council to explain why a prospective police candidate was not hired after completing testing; council members said concerns about recent stormwater repair costs influenced the decision, not the candidate’s qualifications.
Union City Mayor Robert Wolf and a visiting resident pressed borough council members on July 23 for an explanation after council declined to proceed with hiring another full‑time police officer.
"We owe the candidate an explanation for having him go through all this testing and evaluations," Mayor Robert Wolf said, describing the applicant as "a good candidate" who preferred a smaller department and noting the borough should clarify next steps for the individual.
The question surfaced during public comment when Jeremy Sterling of Centerville asked why the council decided not to hire another officer. Council members said the issue would be discussed later in the meeting. When it was discussed, Councilor Melissa Winkler said she was not aware a recruitment was underway and expressed concern about the borough's competing priorities. "I wasn't aware that we were looking to hire another officer and ... I am concerned with the costs regarding the recent storm water issues," Winkler said. Councilor James Kerns echoed concern that pending stormwater repair costs—not the candidate's qualifications—were the primary reason the hiring motion failed.
Police department leadership submitted the June 2024 report with no questions from council during that agenda item, and borough officials said they expect the candidate to continue testing in the consortium. Mayor Wolf asked council to provide the candidate with an explanation for the process that had already occurred.
The council did not take a new vote or make a public decision to revive the hiring effort during the meeting. Minutes show councilors agreed hiring decisions were influenced by imminent stormwater repair expenses; no formal motion to hire was approved or scheduled in the record of July 23.
The matter remains at the discussion stage: no direction to staff or a formal hiring action appears in the July 23 minutes. If the council decides to revisit staffing, any formal motion and vote will be recorded in future minutes.
