BUTLER TWP — Township commissioners Monday unanimously increased the $30,000 salary offered to starting police by more than $7,000.

Township manager Ed Kirkwood brought the idea to the commissioners at the board’s last meeting because he noticed a decline in the number of applicants during civil service testing over the years since the last pay increase in 2004.

Although the township initially attracted about 20 qualified applicants, only 10 people participated in the most recent round of testing two years ago. The township will test again this year as part of standard procedure.

Officials said the township raised its starting rate to $20,000 in 1990, $23,700 in 2001 and $30,000 in 2004. The new starting salary is $37,760.

Before agreeing to the increase, the board at its last meeting decided to casually poll other police departments about the salary they offer starting officers.

Kirkwood asked this information of all municipalities in Butler County as well as all first-class townships in Beaver, Allegheny and Westmoreland counties.

Butler Township, according to the poll results, offered less than the lowest responder, Reserve Township in Allegheny County which offered $32,845. The highest responder was Penn Hills in Allegheny County, offering $58,227.

Butler Township Commissioner Joe Hasychak made the motion to increase the starting salary saying the township had seen a savings over the years, but it’s time to move forward. Hasychak noted that Butler City — a distressed community — offers $35,087.

Although the starting salary now is more, the salaries of officers with other levels of experience at the Butler Township Police Department are contractually negotiated, and will not change.

A patrolman’s salary caps in the fifth year at $69,000. At the first year, an officer makes 60 percent of that salary. And it increases by 10 percent annually until it reaches the maximum.

When reached before the commissioners’ vote, Butler Township Police Chief John Hays said he supported increasing the starting salary.

“With inflation and nature of the job, it should go up,” said Hays, who did not attend the commissioners’ meeting.

In addition to chief and lieutenant, the Butler Township Police Department has five sergeants, 14 patrol officers and two administrators.

In other news, the township reappointed two members of the planning commissioner to serve additional four-year terms. Those people are Sam Zurzolo and Brenda Collins.