By Kristine Snodgrass, Staff Writer
WEST WINDSOR — As part of its decision to add no new personnel to the proposed 2009 budget, the township administration denied a request from the police department to add another officer to its force.
Speaking at the township council’s budget meeting Monday night, Chief Joseph Pica said the department’s proposed operating budget would be the same this year as the past two years, at $317,896.
Including salary and wages, the total department budget has been proposed at $5,674,638, said township administrator Chris Marion.
The township council has held several meetings to review the proposed $36.4 million municipal budget, which would represent an increase by $1 million over last year.
”The proposed budget had no increases in personnel, as part of our efforts to retain costs going into a difficult financial environment,” Mr. Marion said of the decision to keep the police force stable.
However, the department is applying for a grant to fund four new police officers through federal stimulus funds, Chief Pica said.
The economic stimulus plan laid out by President Barack Obama included $1 billion to help local municipalities hire more police officers under the Community Oriented Policing Services Office.
The department is requesting four officers, which would be supported reimbursed by the grant for three years of salaries for the officers. The township would then be obligated to fund the officers for another year.
Mr. Marion said the administration fully supports this move.
Councilman George Borek said it’s important that the size of the police force keeps up with growth in the township, particularly as the redevelopment plan is enacted.
”There are issues out there that are at our doorstep,” he said.
A force of 47 officers has been approved since 2007, Chief Pica said, but as a result of various issues, that number has never fully materialized as a result of retirements, promotions and other personnel issues.
Currently, there are 46 officers on the street while one attends police academy, he said.
”We have yet to get 47 guys actually working,” he said.
The township will be notified if its application was successful later this year, Chief Pica said.
Also at the meeting, Municipal Judge Mary Brennan said the operating budget for the court will stay the same, at a proposed $31,839 this year.
Although the court handles the highest number of DWI cases in the county, the statistics have been significantly fallen in 2008 and 2009 compared to previous years, she said.
Meanwhile, the township is continuing to investigate a possible shared-services agreement for municipal court facilities, Mr. Marion said.
With its similar caseload and docket, and its location in the same county as West Windsor, the judge recommended Robbinsville be examined for this purpose.
”If there’s any place you’d want to look at, that’s what you’d look at,” she said.
Township Director of Emergency Services Jim Yates said the budget requests for uniform fire code and emergency services decreased in 2009, by $185 and $520, respectively.
Overtime costs are significant for the emergency services division because it is less expensive than hiring staff to cover vacation and sick days, Mr. Yates said.
”We are at minimum staffing at all times,” he said.
Among capital requests this year, the administration recommended $20,000 for traffic light controls for emergency vehicles at the intersections of Clarksville Road with Penn Lyle and Meadow roads, he said.

