Township shuns proposed fee for state police

Loyalsock Township could be billed more than $1 million a year if a proposed state law requiring municipalities reliant on state police for law enforcement to impose a tax to pay for the service passes.

The proposed legislation would impose the $100-per-resident tax on municipalities with at least 10,000 people. Loyalsock Township's population is 10,876, which means it would be required to pay almost $1.1 million a year for state police coverage.

"That's not particularly good news," William Burdett, township manager and treasurer, said Friday. "Obviously, we're not in favor of it. We would have no choice but to fight it."

The township already faces between $30 million and $35 million worth of upgrades over the next five years related to the Chesapeake Bay cleanup initiative, Burdett said. The upgrades involve the township's sewer system and its share of upgrades to the Williamsport Sanitary Authority's facility.

According to Burdett, the fee would increase the township's operating budget by 42 percent. The township does not have a high crime rate nor has there been an outcry from township residents for a local police force, he said.

Burdett said officials of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors believe there is scant support for the legislation, which was proposed by state Rep. John Pallone, D-Westmoreland County. A call to the organization Friday afternoon was not returned.

State Rep. Garth Everett, R-Muncy, said he would have to see the details of the proposed legislation before he "jumps on the bandwagon one way or the other."

Everett said he doubts the township is placing a burden on state police Troop F, which operates out of Montoursville. The burden is felt in other parts of the state where municipalities much larger than Loyalsock Township are using state police coverage, he said.

Township residents surveyed Friday said they opposed the fee, though some said they would consider less costly alternatives.

Township resident Connie Clapper is a stay-at-home mother with two children, ages 4 and 1.

"We're a single income family. I have two children. Having them pay $100 a year is totally ridiculous," Clapper said.

Clapper said she already is concerned with potential sewer service rate increases associated with the Chesapeake Bay cleanup.

"Adding this on top of it is adding insult to injury," Clapper said. "Four hundred dollars a year? No, thank you."

Township resident Barbara Eyer, who is retired, said the proposal is "way overboard."

The proposal might be easier to swallow if it were $100 per household, Eyer said.

"I live on Social Security, as do a lot of people in my area," she said. "One hundred dollars would be a bit of a squeeze, but I would be willing to do that if I saw more of a presence by the state police, but it's terrible to ask people with children to pay per head."

"For a million bucks, you could probably have your own police department," said township resident Vic Perry said.

Before assessing residents for state police protection, the township should examine the feasability of other alternatives, Perry said.

Perry's proposed alternatives include:

Having the township field its own police force.

Using a combination township-state police coverage.

Contracting police coverage from neighboring municipalities, such as the Borough of Montoursville and Old Lycoming Township.

Old Lycoming Township has agreements to provide police protection to Hepburn and Lycoming townships, according to Old Lycoming Township administrator Linda Mazzullo.

The three townships combined have a total population of just under 10,000, according to Mazzullo. The 2008 operating expenses of the township's police department was slightly more than $772,000, she said.

The department received about $233,000 in revenue, including fines and grants, she said. In addition, Hepburn and Lycoming townships pitched in a total of $66,000 for their police coverage, she said.