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Council questions police hiring after stormwater repair costs factor into discussion
Summary
Mayor and the police chief said they supported hiring a full-time officer, but councilors raised concerns about unexpected stormwater repair costs; council did not approve hiring at the meeting and pledged to explain the decision to the candidate.
Union City Borough councilors on July 23 discussed but did not approve hiring an additional full-time police officer, citing competing budget pressures tied to recent stormwater repair needs.
Mayor Robert Wolf said the borough owes an explanation to a candidate who completed testing and evaluations and that both he and the police chief had discussed the borough’s want and need for another full-time officer. Wolf also noted the candidate indicated a preference for a smaller department.
Councilor Melissa Winkler said she was not aware the borough was looking to hire another officer and expressed concern about the costs associated with recent stormwater issues. Councilor James Kerns also flagged stormwater repairs as a reason the council hesitated to move forward with hiring. Jeremy Sterling, a visitor from Centerville, asked the council what the outcome would be after the decision not to hire.
The minutes record a June 2024 police report provided by the police chief but show no formal motion to hire at this meeting. Councilors agreed the topic would be discussed later and that the borough should provide the candidate with an explanation of the hiring outcome.
The meeting moved on to other agenda items, and an executive session on personnel and contracts followed later, with no action reported in the public minutes.
