Mayor says borough "owes the candidate an explanation" after debate over hiring another officer

Union City Borough Council devoted part of its July 23 meeting to a discussion of whether to add another full-time police officer, but the minutes record no formal hiring motion or vote on the position.

Mayor Robert Wolf said the borough "owes the candidate an explanation for having him go through all this testing and evaluations," and noted the candidate preferred a smaller department. The mayor also said he and the police chief "discussed the want and the need for another full time officer."

Councilor Melissa Winkler said she had not been aware the borough was pursuing another hire and said she was concerned about the costs related to recent stormwater issues. Councilor James Kerns said council's hesitation was driven by the pending stormwater problems and "the unexpected costs," not by the candidate's qualifications. Earlier in the meeting resident Jeremy Sterling had asked the council about its decision not to hire another police officer and what the outcome would be; councilors told him the topic would be discussed later in the session.

The police chief provided the June 2024 report; the minutes record no additional public comments or motions to hire at the meeting. The minutes note the candidate will be "testing in the consortium," but do not specify next steps, a timetable for a decision, or whether the candidate remains under consideration. The meeting then proceeded to other business and to votes on infrastructure and policy items.

No formal action to hire a new officer is recorded in the July 23 minutes. An executive session to discuss personnel and contracts occurred after adjournment (6:42–7:37 p.m.); the minutes state no action was taken in executive session.