MIDDLESEX TWP - Elimination of the township police force is the recommendation of a financial advisory committee charged with examining the township budget.

Four township residents, Mark Vincent, John Brown, Jack Redman and Ryan Dewey, were asked by the township supervisors to scrutinize the budget for possible areas to cut costs while continuing to fund escalating capital and operational needs.

Vincent, Brown and Redman told supervisors at their meeting Monday night that the township needs to spend $500,000 annually for the next seven years to bring roads up to a safe condition, which is two to three times what the township has been spending in the past.

At the same time, the committee found no areas to significantly pare back expenses.

Also putting pressure on the township are these factors:

The township has the highest real estate tax rate in the county, at 18 mills

Its earned income and EMS taxes are at the highest rate allowed by law

The 54 miles of township roads are largely in need of complete replacement because former supervisors allowed them to deteriorate to avoid increasing taxes.

The committee offered three options for supervisors to fund road repairs:

Borrow money, which would increase taxes

Create a road repair category in the budget and increase taxes 11 mills or more

Reduce or eliminate township services that would free up money to fund the repairs

The largest single expenditure in the township is the full-time police force at $550,000 annually.

Based on the first two options, which would have far-reaching effects on the township in terms of growth, the committee recommended the supervisors cut the police force.

The township would then be covered by state police. It also could opt for a contract with a neighboring police force or form a regional police force with neighboring communities.

The committee noted that fewer than 30 percent of Pennsylvania townships in 2004 had their own police forces. Those that did spent an average of 13 percent of the township budget on police. The Middlesex police costs about one-third of the township's $1.4 million budget.

Sgt. Randy Reudiger, who attended the meeting with officers Randy Davison and Harry Callithen Jr., asked the committee members the purpose of the committee.

"We are the highest-taxed township in the county and we have lousy roads," Vincent said. "We looked at 'how can we fix that?'"

Reudiger reminded the committee and supervisors, who will have the final say in whether the police force is cut or eliminated that more than 300 people attended a meeting in January to support the police force after hearing about the possible cut of four officers.

He said Middlesex police are highly trained and all officers have separate areas of expertise.

"We may be buying too much of a good thing," Vincent said. "We are spending $550,000 on police. If we were two townships, that might be OK."

Brown told Reudiger the committee was charged with looking at numbers only, not quality of department personnel or personal preference, so no constraints would be placed on them in their figuring.

"The fact is we're paying far more than we can afford for police services," Redman said.

"Further study of township residents may turn up that the people want a full-time police force," Brown said.

Redman told Reudiger the township is required by state law to maintain safe roads, and that many miles of township roads are in an unsafe condition.

Township resident Denise Hoover said if the argument is roads versus her family's safety, she would choose safety. She added Middlesex might begin to see an increase in tax revenue when the planned sewer and water projects are complete and development starts.

But Vincent said Dewey, who owns a real estate business, told the committee he has talked to a number of real estate developers regarding their interest in Middlesex once infrastructure projects are complete. He said Dewey reported many developers see Middlesex as "the West Deer of Butler County," meaning taxes are high and there is no quick route to Pittsburgh to spur growth as there is in Adams or Cranberry townships.

"We don't feel we're going to grow our way out of this problem," Vincent said.

McMaster said the police have a union contract that runs until 2008. He said supervisors have asked officers to re-open the contract, but they declined.

McMaster summed up the evening: "What it's going to come down to is this: does this township want a police force or doesn't it."

Copies of the financial advisory committee's report are available at the township office on Browns Hill Road.

The next supervisors' meeting is Sept. 21 at the township building.