CLARKS SUMMIT — During April’s Council meeting, Councilman Josh Mitchell discussed the proposal of Clarks Summit’s police contract with Ransom Township. He said that Ransom’s objections with the proposal is the $50,000 charge in damages for any number of months remaining if they were to breach or terminate.
Mitchell gave reasons why he agreed with Ransom’s objections.
“Number one, it gave natural right to terminate for convenience,” he said. “I feel quite strongly they should not have any right to terminate for convenience. That would put us in a difficult situation if they would. Number two, I don’t think we need to terminate for convenience. We don’t have that in our Clarks Green agreement. My intent from the start is having the flexibility to opt out effective Dec. 31, 2026. That’s when our Clarks Green agreement ends.”
Mitchell reverted back to the contract and called out that it was a one-time opportunity to terminate with a 90-day notice. He then mentioned that Ransom’s revised version of the contract was to make the damages mutual, meaning if either party terminated, the other party owes the other $10,000 a month. He expressed not exposing damages in the contract; therefore, that was also reverted in the contract’s third version.
Solicitor Andrew Krowiak suggested to cover the borough with a one-time fee and make sure the damage clause is set in stone if Ransom Township breaches the contract.
“If we’re able to come to some sort of agreement, some numbers, that Council’s agreeable to, I think a one-time damage fee would cover the borough to which there’s no loss of money should they breach the contract whether it be in six months, one year, or four years,” he said. “As long as Council comes up with a number, put something in there, if they breach the contract, we’re covered, and Clarks Summit Borough does not have any sort of money.”
Councilman Bob Sheils expressed concerns about the feasibility of a police contract with Ransom Township. He mentioned that the 2023 budget was approximately $3.3 million. He said that 27% was used for police expenses, which is Council’s biggest expense. He said that the 2024 budget increased to $3.5 million making the police expense to 30%. He then mentioned that potentially the police officers will be paid more than previous years.
“We really don’t have a lot of wiggle room in our budget,” he said. “It’s a very expensive proposition. “We have a millage of 29.5. The maximum in the state is thirty so we can only go up 0.5 without having to go to court. We also have a fire millage of 2.25. So, we’re effectively the highest tax rate of any municipality in the Abington Heights School District.”
A mill is $1 in tax for every $1,000 in assessed value.
Councilman Frank Besten expressed his belief in the police contract.
“Let’s make sure we have the right amount of people (police officers),” he said. “This part-time thing is a waste. I think all we have to do is to be made whole. I would hate to lose the contract.”
Council decided to table the decision of a police contract with Ransom Township to the council meeting in May.
In other business, Council voted to
• Appoint Owen McVety as junior councilman.
• Appoint Victoria Tyler as treasurer.
• Appoint Jenn Basalyga as acting manager.
• Give Basalyga a dollar an hour pay raise for filling in for borough manager Virginia Kehoe.
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