Horsham Plans Change to Police Pension

The township council is required to make adjustments based on an arbitrator's decision.

The Horsham Township Council this week introduced an ordinance to amend the police pension plan following the recent settlement of the police department’s expired contract. As introduced, the ordinance would alter the Police Pension Plan to a Deferred Retirement Option Plan, based on last month’s decision from the American Arbitration Association. The council set Aug. 8 at 7:45 p.m. as the time for a public hearing. Adoption of the ordinance could follow that night. Besides changes to the police department’s existing pension, the arbitrators awarded the department's 36 uniformed officers with retroactive pay increases of 3 percent for 2011 and 3.25 percent for 2012. In 2013 salary boosts of 3.5 percent would take effect and police would …

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Arbitration Panel Settles Horsham Police Contract

Pay increases will not warrant a tax hike, a township official said.

After working for nearly 18 months under the terms of an expired contract, the Horsham Township Police Department has a contract in place through the end of 2014. Based on contractual terms, which were settled recently by an arbitration panel from the American Arbitration Association, the department's 36 uniformed officers will receive retroactive pay increases of 3 percent for 2011 and 3.25 percent for 2012. In 2013 salary boosts of 3.5 percent would take effect and police would see a 3.75 percent hike in 2014.  The police contract expired at the end of 2010. The township and the police union, unable to reach an agreement following 15 negotiation sessions over a roughly seven-month period, sought out arbitration in February 2011, …

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Horsham Police Contract Last Unknown for Budget Finalization

The governing body intends to maintain the current 1 mill tax rate.

Figuring in additional expenses related to a new contract for the Horsham Township Police is the last hurdle to finalizing the municipality’s roughly $13.5 million spending plan, an official said. The police department’s contract expired in December 2010 and officials, unable to come to a resolution, sought out arbitration. A hearing was held in June and Horsham Township Manager Bill Walker said the township is waiting on a written decision, which will be binding. “It can take some time. Upper Moreland had a hearing in February and a got a decision on Nov. 14,” Walker said. “I’m hoping we get it before we have to approve the budget in case we have to make adjustments.” The township council is slated to consider adoption of the budget – …

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Arbitrator to Rule on Contract for Horsham Police

The police department and township have been unable to settle a new contract since the previous pact expired in December.