Published: May 04, 2009 10:58 pm      

Paint supervisors OK pact with Central City

WINDBER — A new four-year police contract will help Paint Township and Central City Borough plan for the future, Paint Chief Rick Skiles said.

“The goal is the working together, cooperating and sharing the cost,” Skiles said Monday after Paint Township supervisors approved the new four-year contract.

“We know we are saving money.”

Terms call for the borough to pay $31,500 a year through 2012, up a few hundred dollars from the previous contract.

Township resident Paul Henger asked why the contract did not include annual increases for all years.

“What we have done is a stabilization idea for budgeting,” Skiles said. “When you look at these municipalities, we are all trying to help each other. Large amounts of money just aren’t there.”

Skiles also is officer-in-charge at Windber Borough police, which contracts coverage for Scalp Level Borough. The shared service arrangement benefits all municipalities involved, Skiles said.

“We are giving (Central City) 24-hour on-call protection,” Skiles said. “Paint Township also knows what’s coming in payments the next four years. We are building a long-term relationship.”

State agencies with funding for municipalities are looking for communities to work together, Supervisor Andrew Tvardzik said.

Central City Borough Council is expected to finalize the contract next week.