MONTGOMERY - Borough Council approved a three-year contract with its uniform and non-uniform employees Tuesday night, setting raises and terms.
Interim Police Chief Sgt. Larry Wilcox, who said he earns about $40,000 a year and has been with the department 20 years, said as president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 52 most of what is in the contract was negotiated in a prior contract.
However, he said, a few items are spelled out differently.
Asked to explain, Wilcox said wording has been inserted to protect the job security of the senior officers.
Many of the lodge members recognize that municipalities are facing challenging economic times and some are choosing to get rid of full-time officers and hire part-time officers in order to save money, Wilcox said.
The contract spells out, in the event the borough council needs to furlough officers for economic reasons, the layoffs would begin with part-time officers, he said.
If the need arises where full-time officers have to be furloughed, the layoffs would occur based on seniority, he said.
Wilcox said he didn't anticipate the situation would arise.
The borough's two full-time officers, Wilcox and Patrolman Jeff Houseknecht, each will receive 40 cents per hour raises next year, in 2014 and 2015.
Three part-time officers, Patrolmen Jason Wertz, Gregory Drollinger and Ernest Delp III, each receive a $1 per hour raise following their probationary periods.
The following years, the three part-time officers get the 40 cents per hour raise for the life of the contract.
The police negotiations were held with the police committee of council. Borough police are responsible for covering the borough and Brady Township, but not Clinton and Washington townships on a regular basis. They are protected by state police, Wilcox said.
Council approved the non-uniform employees contract that provide 40 cents more per hours raises.
Council approved the meeting times for 2013. They will begin at 6:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month, with work sessions planned Monday and Thursday.
