Pennsburg Council considered the immediate future of its municipal police department during 2025 budget deliberations at Tuesday's meeting. One officer is leaving next month.
The members agreed to proceed with a proposal to hire two new full-time officers for the Upper Perk Police Department. The action would reduce the agency's overall cost by $7,000, according to Chief Joe Adam. However, it could create a six-figure increase for the department's overall budget in 2026.
Following the meeting, Manager Lisa Hiltz couldn't say if municipal officials started the budget process with a deficit. Council President Patrick Suter said members would do their "very best" to avoid a tax increase.
Hiltz identified two factors that would influence administrators' decisions when determining a budget baseline. She said the borough is waiting to hear when it will receive a $300,000 grant reimbursement, and the sale of a truck valued between $30,000 and $35,000.
Municipal officials project a $383,000 surplus in the final 2024 budget. According to the manager, the plan is to carry over $360,000 to next year's budget.
Adam informed the members that Officer Sean Kerper is resigning from the department, following three years of service, after his shift on Nov. 3. Kerper will pursue a career in plumbing, according to the police chief.
Kerper - who joined the department as a part-time officer in the middle of 2021, and was promoted to full-time that December - is making the move for family reasons, according to Adam. The chief said the officer did not want to miss family milestones.
"I don't think the job was for him," Adam said.
The police chief suggested hiring two full-time officers next year. Adam calculated that it would save the borough money in 2025.
For budgeting purposes, Adam identified Jan. 1 and July 1 as the dates to hire the new officers. However, Lt. Matthew Boaman conceded that there was "zero chance" the department could identify a new officer by New Year's Day. Adam estimated March at the earliest for the first hire.
"It's going to be hard to find two new officers," said Adam, who explained that the borough's starting salary is between $15,000 and $20,000 lower than some neighboring municipalities. "It's like finding a needle in a haystack. They can't pass the polygraph (test)."
The cost for two new officers could increase significantly in 2026. Boaman, citing "napkin math," told the members that the positions would add between $115,000 and $130,000 to the overall police budget.
Several members ruled out the possibility of hiring part-time officers. Adam described the position as a "losing financial proposition."
Mayor Charles Shagg did not attend the meeting.