Stephanie Long
(6/19) Faced with a tight budget, the
Thurmont town commissioners have been faced
with the task of reducing spending to balance
the budget, and have thus decided to reduce
the size of Thurmont’s police force.
In order to retain proposed salary “steps,”
or increases, and retain all current staff,
the commissioners voted in favor of a measure
to reduce Thurmont’s police force from 12 to
10 sworn officers, which, according to Mayor
Marty Burns, was agreeable to Police Chief
Gregory Eyler. The police force currently has
11 sworn officers and is expecting one
resignation.
“The Chief is willing to forgo one man to
keep all of the current staff and retain the
step increases,” Burns said. “[He] thinks it’s
important to give current employees a step…”
But despite Eyler’s willingness, Burns had
concerns of his own over the proposed cutback.
“We cannot guarantee public safety,” Burn
said. “What if you go down to 10 and two quit,
that’s scary. You need more than what’s
required so you have it filled, because some
might be absent… I don’t want to loose that
comfort zone.”
But the commissioners did not necessarily
share Burns concern. While Commissioner Wayne
Hooper suggested looking into what the
reduction would do to the town’s police
coverage, Commissioner Bob Lookingbill had no
qualms with the cut back.
“I really think 10 officers can handle this
town of 6,000,” Lookingbill said.
Commissioner Ron Terpko agreed with
Lookingbill, despite his own concerns. “We can
do it with 10 and it will work,” Terpko said.
“It can work, but it’s tight.”
All of the commissioners and Burns agreed
that something needed to be cut to ensure that
steps and raises were fit into the budget, and
after discussing the matter, the vote was made
to cut Thurmont’s police force from 12 to 10
sworn officers. The measure will not affect
the town’s current force, which has 10
officers.
