Twenty-two West New York police officers facing layoffs due to budget cuts have been granted a reprieve.
Mayor Silverio “Sal” Vega announced in a press conference Tuesday that an agreement has been reached between the township and police union to save their jobs. The agreement came after negotiating for many months with Police Benevolent Association (PBA) Local 361.
In June, the police officers received pink slips informing them that as of July 31, they would be out of a job. Just days before the deadline, the date was pushed back to Sept. 14 because the township and police union had not come to an agreement.
On Friday, Aug. 14, the township and police union sat at another meeting that was described as “productive” by PBA President Tommy Mannion.
“This is a new and innovative concept that prevents any police layoffs, protects taxpayers, reduces administrative costs, and focuses our resources on protecting people,” said Vega.
“We’re very excited that our officers will not lose their jobs.” — PBA President Thomas Mannion
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According to Vega, tax bills being mailed this week show a zero increase in local property taxes for the next six months.
New retirement plan is the key
Terms of the plan include cutting back spending in other township departments, and allowing police supervisors to take part in a special retirement plan in which they would collect their terminal leave benefit over a period of up to 10 years instead of collecting it in one lump sum.
The benefit is provided to officers who have accumulated many unused vacation or sick days. Paul Swibinski, spokesman for the township, said this could be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars for some longtime officers.
Swibinski also noted that there is a benefit to officers that choose to take their terminal leave benefit over an extended period of time. Those that opt in will be in a lower tax bracket than those that receive a lump sum.
“The key to being able to take 22 men and women off a layoff list is the fact that we have been able and successful, working with the state of New Jersey, to have a retirement plan for our supervisors,” said Vega. “We are ready for eight to 10, possibly 12 supervisors to retire.”
Vega also said the township would hold back on immediately replacing the retired supervisors to reduce administrative costs and to maintain street patrol levels. The agreement limits to a maximum of 12 the number of supervisors that retire and can take advantage of the plan.
Also, in accordance with the plan, retiring police supervisors will have until Sept. 4 to submit their “intention to retire” paperwork in order to opt in.
PBA is optimistic
“We’re very excited that our officers will not lose their jobs, and I’m sure that their families have the same feeling of excitement,” said Mannion. “I’m glad that it has been resolved with nobody losing their jobs and with the town saving the money they needed to save.”
In negotiations with the police union, the township pushed for officers to accept a lower cost health benefit, but both parties have yet to come to come to an agreement. According to the township, negotiations on the lower cost plan still continue.
Taxes should not increase
“Over the last six months we have done nothing but work on the municipal budget, after a very difficult period earlier this year with more than $10 million of debt for the town of West New York,” said Vega. “We have slowly turned our budget around to the point that we have given a tax increase the last quarter and now we can go forward knowing that we will have a balanced budget for 2010.”
Vega then added: “To achieve that, we have done things that have never been done in the town of West New York. We have worked with three unions at the same time.”
Melissa Rappaport may be reached at mrappaport@hudsonreporter.com