LAMBERTVILLE: PBA is being asked to help avert layoff

By Linda Seida, Staff Writer
   LAMBERTVILLE — A city officer’s job is on the line for the second year in a row as finances may force a layoff.
   The city on Friday sent a 60-day layoff notice to the union that represents Lambertville police officers, Policemen’s Benevolent Association Local 188. The notice names just one officer.
   Officer Vincent Albani was the last officer hired. That was five years ago. His job would be targeted if the City Council calls for a layoff, according to Acting Clerk Cynthia Ege.
   Officer Albani faced a similar situation last year when the city faced layoffs because of financial woes. That layoff was averted.
   This year, the city is facing a tough new financial climate as the state institutes a new cap on municipalities’ budgets, according to Mayor David Del Vecchio. The state instituted the new cap this year, and it will go into effect Jan. 1. The new cap will be 2 percent. The current cap is 4 percent.
   To stave off a police layoff, the city has requested more talks with the officers’ union, looking to reopen their contract and negotiate a giveback.
   ”I can’t emphasize this enough: We are open to meeting with the PBA,” Mayor Del Vecchio said.
   He added, “They will ultimately decide whether they keep the same workforce or lose an individual.”
   The city and the PBA have met just once so far. The mayor said they “really haven’t talked specifics yet.”
   On Monday, PBA attorney James Mets said, “We will be contacting the mayor in Lambertville. If he wants to meet with us, we will be willing to listen to whatever suggestions he has and go in with an open mind.”
   Officers will receive a 4-percent raise next year and again in 2012, according to the terms of their contract. This year, police salaries increased 3.5 percent.
   Mayor Del Vecchio has said that next year, officers’ 4-percent raise would gobble up more than the permitted 2-percent increase in the city’s budget.
   Mr. Mets has said the threatened layoff would be “illegal” and said the city was aware of its budget needs at the time the contract was signed.
   ”Considering that 2-percent cap; that’s what it’s all about,” the mayor said. “The world has changed. We’re trying to function within that 2-percent cap.”
   The 60-day notice is the second step in a three-step process before a layoff can occur. One more notice, 30 days in advance of the layoff, is required before an officer can be laid off.
   In 2009, Officer Albani was marked for layoff when the city sent the PBA a notice that the layoff of an officer was possible. In that case, it also was due to tight finances as the city faced higher than normal legal fees and a loss of state aid.