Gettysburg Borough staffing levels were the focus of the borough council’s first budget preparation workshop this week.
The borough currently budgets for the following full-time staff members in each department: three parking, four planning, four office of the manager, four public works, 14 sworn police officers, and one police secretary. In 2025, the borough hopes to add one full-time employee who will spend a quarter of their time in the parking department and the rest in public works.
Reduce Police Force?
Council member Patti Lawson suggested the borough fund the extra position by cutting one police officer. The borough increased its force from 12 to 14 in 2023. However, staffing challenges have prevented Chief Robert Glenny from hiring a full contingent.
“I am not trying to pit one department in the borough against another,” Lawson said.
Lawson noted the Public Works Department had nine employees in 2016. Before then, she believes, the department was even larger.
Lawson said she believes the police department is better equipped to respond during a crisis because they can request support from nearby municipal police departments or the Pennsylvania State Police. She noted the borough’s aging infrastructure is worrisome for the Public Works Department.
Borough council member Chad-Alan Carr concurred that the Public Works Department needs additional staffers.
Council member Chris Berger noted the police department is currently understaffed due to the hiring challenges, which is causing stress among the officers. Reducing the force, he believes, will weaken morale.
Council President Matthew Moon noted the police department has traditionally ended the year over budget due to overtime costs. Since the borough increased the force, officers have worked less overtime, and the budget overages have shrunk.
Glenny expressed appreciation for Moon’s statement and predicted police department expenses would continue in a positive direction if Lawson’s proposal was rejected.
“I haven’t had a full 14 yet to show you what we could do with those overtime numbers,” Glenny said.
He added that the department should ideally have 16 officers based on the size of the municipality and the number of special events, but he understands the financial implications of that scenario.
Moon noted that the police department is unlikely to have a full contingent of 14 officers before June 2025 so some money can be reallocated to public works without reducing the size of the force.
Cops Underpaid
Mayor Rita Frealing, who oversees the police department, told the council that its hiring challenges are likely due to the wages it pays.
“We are absolutely the lowest,” Frealing said, comparing Gettysburg’s salaries to those of others in the county.
Glenny agreed but acknowledged that salaries are set through the collective bargaining agreement and not the borough budget process. He said he tries to highlight the work environment and historic borough when attracting candidates.
Sister City Spending
The borough’s Sister City of Sekigahara, Gifu Prefecture, Japan wants its American friends to visit in 2025. Borough Manager Charles Gable said Sekigahara will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the opening of its visitors center, which Gettysburg helped them design.
“I think we should make every effort to make sure we have representatives there for their celebration,” council member Judie Butterfield said.
The council concurred but does not believe travel expenses should come from borough coffers. Gable said he would explore private funding so he, the mayor, and a council representative could attend the celebration.
Streaming Meetings
Burger asked if the borough should stream and record more of its public meetings. The borough currently pays Community Media to stream its borough council meetings and workshops for $270 a meeting. Burger said there is a community desire to air more gatherings of authorities, boards, and commissions. He said a private group of citizens is paying Community Media to air Planning Commission meetings as the body works through the borough rezoning process.
Council members said they support more transparency but question the feasibility of paying to stream so many meetings. Carr said any member of the public can record the meetings for free and post them to YouTube.
“It’s perfectly legal for them to be there with their cell phone or an iPad and record this very meeting,” he said.
Parking Fees
The borough’s parking app, Pay-By-Phone, increased its fees in 2024, causing the borough’s budget to take a hit.
Parking Manager Becka Fissel said the borough’s app fee costs increased from $29,860 to $42,839. The borough was paying 14 cents per transaction and is now paying 20 cents per transaction, Fissel said. The user pays 35 cents per transaction.
The borough council directed Gable to set the 2025 app rate as 55 cents per transaction so the borough is receiving 100% of parking revenue. Customers who do not wish to pay the convenience fee can use coins, Carr noted.
Next Steps
Monday’s two-hour budget workshop was the first of several scheduled sessions. The council will continue its financial deep dive on Oct. 28, Nov. 4, and Nov. 5. All meetings begin at 7 p.m. in the municipal building on East High Street.
Alex J. Hayes has spent almost two decades in the Adams County news business. He is passionate about sharing stories focused on the people in our communities and following local governments in an age when few journalists report on their meetings. Alex is also a freelance writer for several other publications in South Central Pennsylvania. Alex encourages readers to contact him at ahayes83@gmail.com.