Wolf budget calculation: time to pay for State Police protection

HARRISBURG — Gov. Tom Wolf's plan to charge communities without police $25 per resident for state police protection may be a bargain compared to the cost of running a municipal department, but local officials aren't buying it.

The proposal unveiled Tuesday as part of the governor's 2017-18 budget received an icy reception in Westmoreland County — home to 136,330 residents served strictly by state police, the most of any county in the state.

State police provide the sole coverage for 50 percent of all municipalities in Pennsylvania, areas that account for 20 percent of the state's population of nearly 13 million people, according to a Tribune-Review analysis of state and federal data. That coverage comes at no cost to the municipality but is covered by taxpayers statewide.

Hempfield, population 42,300, is the largest municipality in the state without local police. Officials there have held the local tax levy at three mills for 25 years and said they see no reason to change.

“I think it is very disappointing to hear that the governor cannot balance his budget without asking for money from the hardworking people of Hempfield Township and other communities in Westmoreland County,” said Doug Weimer, chairman of the Hempfield board of supervisors. “If residents of municipalities without police are going to be charged for state police, then all communities should be expected to pay for state police services.”

Under Wolf's proposal, township residents could pay $1 million for trooper coverage. The municipality's current budget totals about $12.9 million, none earmarked for police service.

Half of the municipalities in the state, which are home to 80 percent of the total population, help underwrite state police costs and maintain their own police forces.

The Tribune-Review found per capita police department costs to be $322 in Pittsburgh; $286 in Greensburg; $223 in Jeannette; $221 in New Kensington; and $173 in Latrobe.

Westmoreland County has 26 municipalities that rely solely on state police coverage, according to state figures.

Allegheny County has two: Haysville, a borough with about 75 residents, and Glenfield, which has a population of about 215.

State police costs are a growing problem for many states, said Katie Quinn, a research analyst with the National Conference of State Legislatures. At least 14 states have introduced alternative funding plans for state police over the past decade, she said.

Wolf's proposal is part of a $32.3 billion budget plan to bridge an estimated $3 billion budget shortfall. The fee charged for state police service would bring an estimated $63 million next year and underwrite the cost associated with about 100 new state troopers, according to Budget Secretary Randy Albright.

The plan received mixed reactions from local taxpayers.

“That's a cheap price to pay for protection, if it's any good,” said Ron Minerva, 82, a Salem resident for more than 50 years. He said that in his rural community, he has had little reason to call upon the state police, although he actually started locking his doors in recent years.

Don Henry, 71, of Hempfield said he didn't think the $25-per-person fee would be too bad but didn't like the implication of the state starting a new fee or understand why state police needed it.

“For all these years, the state police seemed to be doing OK,” Henry said. “We already have the highest gas tax in the country.”

Since 2013, more than $2 billion paid by drivers through increased fees and gas taxes intended to be used to fix crumbling roads and bridges in the state instead has been used to support state police costs, the Tribune-Review reported in September. State police also have endured a staffing shortage for several years.

Still, some local residents did not welcome news of the proposed fee.

“Paying more is always not good,” said Hempfield resident Pankaj Mehrotra, 64. “There are many more places where we're spending money, but it's always easy to put it on somebody else.”

Unity is the third-largest municipality in Pennsylvania without local police protection, but its township supervisor said there is no way it could handle the burden the proposed fee would create.

“We have about 22,000 residents, so that's more than $500,000,” said Mike O'Barto, noting that one mill of taxes in Unity brings in about $291,000. “And we have so many other issues we are dealing with, like making sure our volunteer fire departments are well-funded. There is no way Unity Township, with our current budget status, could pay those fees.”

O'Barto said he could support a concept state Sen. Kim Ward, R-Hempfield, proposed several years ago that would have given municipalities an opportunity to pay for troopers designated to serve their communities.

Ward said she reintroduced that bill in anticipation of Wolf's proposal. But she said communities with police should not be expected to carry the burden for those who do not.

Her bill would allow municipalities to contract directly with state police for services.

“The bill would add additional officers over and above the present state police complement,” Ward said. “Also, the bill ensures the money municipalities pay under the contract will be used only for that purpose.”

Political analyst and pollster Terry Madonna of Franklin & Marshall College said the $25 assessment is one of the more controversial planks of the governor's proposed budget and likely will end up as a bargaining chip in budget negotiations with the Republican-controlled House and Senate.

“I think that proposal is going to be a tough one to get through the Legislature,” Madonna said, noting that it affects small towns and rural municipalities in largely Republican districts.

Staff writer Brian Bowling contributed to this report. Kevin Zwick and Debra Erdley are Tribune-Review staff writers. Reach them at kzwick@tribweb.com and derdley@tribweb.com.