Police Commission Bickers Over Its Charter

Members of the bickered Monday night over charter issues that are seen delaying Upper Macungie Township's exit from the Berks-Lehigh Regional Police Department by Dec. 31, 2012.

Upper Macungie Township currently pays more than $2.6 million for police protection from the . The three other Berks County municipalities covered by the department -- Maxatawny Township, Topton Borough and Lyons Borough -- pay significantly less under the charter's terms.

want voting rights that are commensurate with the amount of money the township pays versus  the amounts the smaller towns and boroughs shell out. Currently, each municipality has a 25 percent voting interest. The current charter was originally crafted in 2002.

The Berks County members have not agreed to that, which has created the impasse.

"We can't keep putting off these issues," said commissioner Sam Ashmar, who is also an Upper Macungie supervisor. "We need to be moving forward. We need a good exit strategy and get together on contracting services back.

Solicitors for the Berks County townships say they need more time to digest the situation.

"This is a cumbersome and complicated process," said commissiom chairman Edward Earley, who also chairs the Upper Macungie supervisors. "There has to be some closure. I foresaw these problems and now they've happened."

Commissioners decided that a preliminary list of concerns will be put together and addressed at the .

Ashmar said the problems exiting the department, including pension concerns for the rank-and-file officers and the possibility of contract services back to the three Berks County towns, are not black and white issues.

He said a committe should be formed, that includes department officers, to hash out many of the concerns.