Dec 9, 2003 By April Straughters 3 min read

CALIFORNIA – Borough council has notified the entire police department that they will be laid off from Dec. 14 until Jan. 12, according to an anonymous source. Neither Borough Council President Art Harris nor Mayor Galvie Gardner could be reached for comment.

The department is made up of five full-time and eight part-time officers, a secretary and the parking meter attendant.

The decision is apparently to offset costs associated with the borough’s 2004 $1.3 million budget, which has been tentatively adopted and will be voted on at council’s regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

Police Chief Steve Silbaugh would not comment on the borough’s decision to lay-off the entire police department, saying he is, “prohibited from making comments on borough activity.”

At council’s November meeting, Harris said council’s adoption of ordinance No. 485, “Reimbursement of Fees,” which would allow the borough to charge fees for police service, code enforcement and animal control, was a “budgetary decision.”

He said the ordinance was just “one avenue to get more income” to offset a $159,000 deficit.

Comparing 2004’s $1,333,996 spending plan to 2003’s $1,168,247 budget, there was a significant cut in the police department’s expenditures with a $32,784 cut in patrolman salaries.

Those salaries went down from $153,000 in 2003 to $120,216 in 2004.

“Other salaries” within the police department were reduced by $9,894, down from $39,644 in 2003 to $29,750 in 2004.

The 2004 budget also reflects a $25,000 reduction in overtime and court time from 2003.

Police department benefits costs, however, increased in 2004 at $59,756 compared to $46,000 in 2003.

In total, the borough’s 2004 budget reflects a $56,288 cut in the police budget.

Last year, the borough passed a spending plan that included a $108,366 cut in the police budget, which included the laying off of two full-time officers.

At that time, Silbaugh said the reduction in the force caused him some concern for the safety of the community and his officers. He would not comment on that issue Monday.

At that time, Gardner said that the 2003 cuts were necessary to balance the budget without a tax increase.

Gardner also said the budget cut and layoffs were due to an increase in lawsuits and lawyer fees and an ongoing problem at the sewage plant.

The borough is involved in six different lawsuits, including four federal suits.

The two officers who were laid off have since filed lawsuits against the borough, adding even more financial woes to the borough.

Meanwhile, the funding of other departments within the borough has not been reduced as significantly as the police department and no other borough employees have been laid off, according to the source.

The zoning department’s budget for example, including wages, ordinances, benefits, general expenses, legal and equipment, was reduced slightly at $9,036 compared to last year.

The street department’s budget plan was reduced by $19,600 compared to last year’s budget.

If the budget is adopted as it stands on Thursday, the real estate tax will remain at 33 mills.

Gardner said, in a previous interview, that 1 mill is equal to $32,000 in revenue for the borough.