Contract Negotiation Success: All 10 Police Jobs Saved

It’s official. No Middletown Township police jobs will be sacrificed to a stricter budget.

After a successful four-year contract negotiation with the township police Superior Officers’ Association (SOA) on Friday, that staved off pending demotions and saved four rookie jobs, success in collective bargaining between the township and the local Policemen’s Benevolent Association (PBA) over the weekend resulted in the ratification of yet another job-saving (six) contract.  In all, the 10 police jobs that were slated for the budget chopping block will remain on the duty roster.

Early today Mayor Tony Fiore told Patch that the PBA negotiations were successful and making it official was just a matter of attorney approval and adopting a resolution at last night’s meeting to seal the deal.

That’s exactly what happened. The and resolutions adopted.

The cost savings in the new contracts came from some health insurance plan compromises.

“I’m very pleased to vote on this resolution,” Fiore said at the regular Township Committee meeting. “Police (unions) really stepped up to the plate and saved jobs. I’m extremely happy to be able to be a part of seeing those jobs saved. I look forward to working together (with police) for a very long time. These contracts are very fair to both the officers and the taxpayers of Middletown.”

Still, nine jobs outside of the police department could not be spared. Those employees were handed pink slips on Friday.

The mayor’s aim since the introduction of the township’s $61 million 2011 municipal budget was to stay within Gov. Chris Christie’s mandated 2 percent cap property tax hikes.  The cap had previously stood at 4 percent.

In keeping with the mandate, Middletown officials crafted the budget with proposals for an original “worst case scenario” layoff of 26 employees. Through attrition, shuffling around and contract negotiating, that number was reduced to nine.

The public hearing on t was also conducted last night with only one comment from the public.

Resident Don Watson, of the New Monmouth section of the township, complained that he felt it was feasible for the township to afford televising meetings, a proposal knocked down by the committee as an unnecessary expense with little advantage.

“We are cutting. We are not spending,” said Committeeman Gerard Scharfenberger to Watson. “We deal in reality here.”