Budget Hearing 2: Follow-Up

Residents of Upper Darby Township,

The second Budget Hearing was held last week (November 20, 2024) in the Council Chambers at 100 Garrett Road. During the meeting, a number of residents posed questions that were not answered explicitly during the Hearing, or needed more specific information. The information below should clarify these resident questions and concerns.

To view the Budget Hearing in full, please visit the Township’s archived livestream, located here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbO40LHHsn4 

Question 1: Regarding the number of Uniform Police Officers and their pay:

Per the Superintendent, the total positions making up the Police Department (filled and unfilled uniform) is as follows:

1 Superintendent

4 Captains

9 Lieutenants 

12 Sergeants

16 Detectives

78 Patrol Officers

1 Evidence Officer

1 Court Officer

1 Community Affairs Officer

1 Administrative Officer

5 MBU and Traffic Officers

4 Criminal Intelligence/Narcotics Officers

For 2024, the total is 133 officers. In 2025, the Township is adding 5 new officers for a total of 138 officers. The 2025 UDT Position Budget that was presented to the Council included 138 Uniform funded positions.  There were three non Uniform  positions in the Police Department that were listed in the position control budget as $0.00 since they are funded through grants and not through the general fund. The word “Grant” was listed next to this position on the spreadsheet the Controller provided to Council. Their positions are as follows:

POC027: Community Liaison Worker

POC028: Community Liaison Worker

POC030: PLOT Summer Employee

Regarding any apparent decrease in Patrol Officer Salaries: it may appear that individuals have received $30,000.00 reductions in their salaries from 2024 to 2025, but that is not the case. It is due to there being a new officer in the position. New officers are hired for $30,000.00 less than the base, and they are stepped up in salary over 5 years. No officer is earning a lower salary in the Fiscal Year 2025 than they received in 2024.

Question 2: Regarding TWU positions

All TWU positions in the 2025 budget are per the TWU Collective Bargaining Agreement and were reviewed by the Director of Public Works to ensure accuracy. Any changes in the position budget from 2024 to 2025 were to correct the position number to agree to the Collective Bargaining Agreement. This would have been a reduction in a position, not a person.

Question 3: Why was the budget for seasonal workers reduced?

The budget for seasonal workers in both Trash Collection and Parks Maintenance was reduced based on historical data from the prior two years. In 2025, the Township is realigning the budget based on what the anticipated spend will be in 2025 based on the actual results from 2023 and 2024. The Trash Collection Department has 15 year round part-time workers; this amount of workers will remain in 2025 and is based on the TWU Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Question 4: There has been a decrease in the One Center Budget from 2024 to 2025; is this decreasing constituent services?

Four Constituent Service Representatives were budgeted in the One Center for 2024, but only three of these positions were filled since the inception of the One Center. There is another employee in the One Center that assists residents but that position is budgeted in the License and Inspection department. Also, in 2024, a Communications Associate was budgeted but this position has not been filled since January 2023. This position was restructured in 2024 to the Public Information Officer and was moved to the CAO budget. In short, the changes in the budget do not represent a decrease in the One Center Budget but; rather a restructuring of the organization.

Question 5: Why increase Trash and Sewer Fees when we have already raised taxes through the implementation of an EIT?

The Trash and Sewer Fee are calculated so that the revenue generated better reflects the cost to run these operations. Both fees – including the modest increases – do not cover the entire cost of the operations, and do not provide for necessary funds to adequately maintain or make improvements to equipment and infrastructure. EIT allowed for the creation of a $650,000 capital improvement budget for the sewer system (a first), while also allowing for a $3 million overall capital budget for the township and $2 million for the Fund Balance (for financial stability, reserve for emergencies, credit worthiness, and compliance with the Township’s fund balance goals).

Question 6: Are street cleaning salaries going down?

Street cleaners are TWU employees and all union employees are paid according to their Collective Bargaining Agreements, so their salaries are not decreasing.