CENTER TWP — “I’m willing to listen,” said township Supervisor Ed Latuska.

That is Center’s stand on the possibility of creating a regional police department with Butler and Butler Township.

The townships received letters from the city in July regarding a regional police force, and at Wednesday’s Center Township meeting. the supervisors said they would send representatives to a meeting.

Township supervisors Ken Frenchak and Alan Smallwood are interested in meeting with city officials, though currently there is no meeting scheduled.

However, Butler does have a meeting with Butler Township at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 22 at the township’s building on this topic.

Dave Zarnick, president of the Butler Township board of commissioners, said “Butler Township will attend the meeting with an open mind and open ears to see what’s being presented, and then we will take it from there and see what’s in the best interest of the township.”

Zarnick was not at the Center Township meeting but spoke after it.

Butler and Butler Township both have police departments, while Center does not.

Butler Mayor Tom Donaldson, who had contacted Center earlier this year about a joint force, spoke on his decision to talk to the townships.

“I want to explore all options, whether we can merge with one or the other or both,” he said. “I think the most beneficial would be between the two police departments and Center Township. I think it has the potential to be very cost effective for all communities.”

Donaldson, who also was not at the Center meeting, spoke about how it would benefit Center.

“I would love to have a regional department with them because they have state police coverage, and while the state police do a great job, you don’t have the personal relationships like you do with the police in your own city.”

He also noted how it would help the Butler police.

“It would protect the guys’ jobs, where nobody has to worry about anything,” he said.

At the Center meeting, Latuska voiced concern about a potential joint department: “We all know the city of Butler is in financial trouble.”

Donaldson said that a merger would probably mean hiring more officers. Butler has 21 officers, while Butler Township also has 21.

Zarnick noted that there is a state House bill that seeks to address the inequities of state police funding.

If it would pass, townships like Center would be billed by the state police for services. However, being part of a regional department would mean the township wouldn’t be billed.

Center Supervisor Ron Flatt said, “We do know some of the numbers that were thrown around years ago of what we would have to pay if we had to pay for state police protection, and those numbers could be quite high. But it was speculation.”