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Mayor and council disagree over timing of hiring another full-time police officer
Summary
Mayor Robert Wolf and the police chief described a viable candidate, but several councilors hesitated to hire given recent stormwater-related costs; no hiring motion was recorded as passed during the July 23 meeting.
Councilors and the mayor discussed whether to move forward with hiring an additional full-time police officer but did not adopt any hiring action at the July 23 meeting.
Mayor Robert Wolf said the borough ‘owes the candidate an explanation for having him go through all this testing and evaluations,’ and described the applicant as a strong candidate who prefers a smaller department. Wolf said he and the chief discussed the borough’s want and need for another full-time officer.
Councilor Melissa Winkler said she was not aware the borough had been pursuing another officer and expressed concern about the costs in light of recent unexpected stormwater issues. Councilor James Kerns also cited stormwater-related costs as a reason for hesitation; council members agreed that the decision reflected concerns about budget impacts rather than the candidate’s qualifications. The minutes record that the matter would be discussed later in the meeting but show no formal hiring motion carried.
