The committee approved four-year contracts with the Voorhees Township Police Officers Associations, Senior Officers Association and the township’s Sergeant Association.
According to township manager Larry Spellman, the police department’s pay scale has been increased to 16 steps, but the salaries are lower — the new scale will begin at a lower level and end at a lower level.
The township hired nine officers since January and the township has had 45 officers “maintaining the streets,” Spellman said.
The township recently entered into a shared service agreement with the school district placing armed officers at every school.
According to Spellman, contracts for senior officers went into arbitration and were finally settled last year. Their contracts will begin Jan. 1, while the others became effective as of Jan. 1 of this year.
Spellman said the actual cost savings for the change has yet to be determined considering this is the first year for the change and the township is unable “to compare apples to apples.”
Council also approved, on first reading, specified salaries of police officers and township employees.
According to the agenda, a police officer in Voorhees could make anywhere between $40,000 to $100,000 and officers starting at the 16th step could make anywhere between $75,000 and $106,000.
Sergeants make between $80,000 and $110,000; lieutenants between $85,000 and $120,000; and captains make between $90,000 and $125,000.
The Camden County Police Department salaries for a captain range from $118,656 to $130,032; for a lieutenant from $106,470 to $116,630; and a sergeant from $91,835 to $102,927.
Deputy Mayor Mario DiNatale said the long process has its benefits for the taxpayers.
“It was a sacrifice for them, but it is something the township needed to do,” he said.
In other meeting news:
- The committee approved the first reading of an ordinance amending hotel/motel liquor licensing provisions adding to the allowable number of hotel liquor licenses in the township. The total number of allowable licenses has increased to two.
- The first reading of an $800,000 bond ordinance for renovations to the police building was also approved and a resolution authorizing the township to enter a cooperative pricing agreement with Gloucester Township to purchase police vehicles.
Ordinances approved on the first reading will have public comment at the next committee meeting on Tuesday, May 28, at 8 p.m. in the courtroom at Voorhees Town Center.
