By Dan Kelley, Norristown Times Herald (Pennsylvania)
NORRISTOWN, Penn. - Municipal Council Wednesday night voted unanimously for a drastically reduced budget that calls for the elimination of eight police officers amid ongoing negotiations with the police union.
The cuts would affect deeply the 12 non-patrol officers in the department, including seven detectives, two community relations officers and three supervisors.
Thirteen municipal employees could also lose their jobs, including two firefighters.
The police department also has four unfilled positions. Norristown currently has 63 police officers.
“Council must budget as though negotiations will not bear fruit,” said Councilman Bill Procyson, chairman of the finance committee. He said labor unions in Norristown are under long-term contracts, and that the members are under no obligation to discuss changes.
If layoffs go through, a police department that began the year with 67 employees could start the next with 55.
“We are truly hoping it won’t come to that,” said state-appointed financial overseer Joe Vignola.
Council and the municipal administration seek changes to the benefits package.
“I think the largest number of employees is with the FOP (Fraternal Order of Police),” said council President Tony Darden. “They have the largest expense - health insurance. They hold the balance on how things come out. In these days, there are tough times and everyone is making adjustments to stay competitive.”
The good news, Procyson said, is that this year’s budget is balanced. That, he said, is the end of the good news.
Non-patrol officers include seven detectives and two community relations officers. Those officers have some seniority over others, so when their positions are eliminated, they would tend to push out officers with less seniority, as they will be moved into the patrol ranks.
“I am required by contract to fully maintain the patrol division,” said Bono. “Patrol would be fully staffed by detectives and we are drawing up plans to work with what we have.”
Bono said auxiliary services will face the biggest chopping block, but that the affect on public safety will be minimized by a full complement of patrol officers.
“The patrol function is the backbone of any police department,” Bono said.
By passing the $19.8 million budget, council has essentially eliminated the possibility of a tax increase, meaning negotiations are the only way of avoiding layoffs, council members said. For 2004, Norristown budgeted $22.7 million. Revenues declined however, because of a pledge by council members to use “realistic” revenue numbers, after years of cost overruns and revenue shortfalls.
Addressing council, Vignola said the challenge for council is living within the means of a financially strapped town.
“What I hope and pray will happen, is that compensation packages reflect the realities of Norristown,” Vignola said. “If that’s not the case, you’ll have to charge the administration with living within its means.”
Layoffs, however, could be tough medicine for Norristown, which has the most active police department in Montgomery County.
“That’s political suicide for them,” said Norristown FOP President Michael Higgins, a Norristown police officer, “and I don’t think they want that reputation following them down the road.
“Obviously,” he said, “nothing is written in stone. The lawyers they hire feel confident that we can work this out and avoid layoffs.”
“I have been assured by the borough and the FOP that efforts will be made for layoffs not to occur,” said District Attorney Bruce L. Castor Jr. “If any part of the county is without detectives, then we will have to provide it.
“I’m not as pessimistic as I would have been if I would have picked up the paper and nobody had the foresight to come in and make sure I didn’t blow a gasket.”
Castor said that Norristown needs more police officers, not less, and he believes members of council agree with him.
“For the short term, our office will back up the police as best we can, but that is a short term option,” Castor said. “We’ll help them with CLEAN and county detectives, but we are not going to take the place of police officers. The residents and government of Norristown have to take responsibility for their own safety.”
Council, for its part, made note of the precarious - and difficult choice it faces before December 15, which is the deadline for negotiations with the FOP.
Addressing council, Rochelle Griffin Culbreath praised her colleagues.
“You are the six most courageous people I know,” she said.