WINDBER —
His force has been underfunded and under fire for months, but Paint Township Regional Police Chief Rick Skiles has kept faith it will survive.
However, that doesn’t mean he won’t accept a little help from above, whether it’s from God, Uncle Sam – or both.
“I’m sitting in church Sunday and my phone rings,” Skiles told Windber Council, saying it was a call from a federal agency informing him Paint’s department is due to receive thousands in forfeiture funds from cases it has helped solve.
A minor miracle, perhaps, Skiles said.
“Whatever it was ... I’ll take it,” he said, smiling.
And so will Windber, it seems.
The news, combined with lower payroll costs Paint Township will see in the coming weeks thanks to last month’s layoffs and a police officer’s resignation, prompted Paint Township Supervisor Joe Huff Jr. to tell Windber’s board the township won’t need another advance on its remaining police dues after all.
The borough’s twice-monthly payments – combined with advances from Paint Borough, Central City, Benson and Scalp Level and remaining township funds – should allow the force to get by the rest of 2012, he said.
“The fact we haven’t been spending money on (the township office) side is helping our situation, too,” Huff said.
“We recognize the help you’ve been giving us,” he added.
Paint Township turned to Windber in the summer after reaching six figures in debt during the past few years. The township said it drained the general fund cash flow and was threatening to park the regional police force.
At the time, the 11th-hour plea to Windber drew criticism from council, which contended the township kept it in the dark.
But council voted to advance police dues every other week. And the sides say they have been in close communication since.
Huff and borough council said that will have to continue in the months ahead, especially if a $300,000 loan the township is seeking does not materialize.
Councilman Jim Spinos said partners in the regional force are considering special meetings to look for a way, if it comes to it, to fund the force during the first quarter of 2013 – the months before Paint Township’s tax revenue is to kick in.
The sides would have to start considering it soon, because in some cases, such as Windber’s, it would mean taking out a larger tax anticipation note in January.
Huff and Skiles applauded the plan - although the supervisor hopes it won’t come to that.
He said Tuesday he’s more hopeful than ever the $300,000 loan will arrive – and said the township may be able to refinance some current debt in the process.
But it’s still a matter of when, Huff added. Closing on that loan also will require Somerset court approval and could take nearly two months.
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