Some local officials have raised concerns about how a proposal to send all DUI hearings to a centralized court in Butler County could affect township budgets and police coverage following a recent meeting in Jackson Township to discuss the matter.

We agree that there are some valid reasons to think twice about the proposal, which is still in the early planning stages. While we’ll have to wait to see whether the plan adequately — as Butler District Attorney Richard Goldinger says — streamlines the DUI hearing process, information on the proposal is currently scarce.

The concern among officials is that the plan could affect police costs. Tom Smith, borough manager and police administrator for Seven Fields, said the Evans City Seven Fields Police Department is still trying to hire a fifth police officer, and the proposal could possibly require a sixth.

But there are also concerns it could affect police coverage. If an officer spends an afternoon in Butler’s central court for a DUI hearing, that officer could not be on duty in the municipality he or she is paid to serve and, therefore, not able to serve.

Jackson Township police Chief Terry Seilhamer said he was concerned the plan could eventually lead to centralizing all criminal offenses. “Will we have to send officers ... all up to Butler?” he asked.

These are valid concerns. But currently, the proposal is a work in progress.

The plan itself is not the only source of concern among officials. Smith said he felt blindsided by the plan and the way it was introduced, and other officials said that they’d only recently been informed about it. Lancaster Township manager Benjamin Kramer said he believed that municipalities should be a part of the conversation on the proposal.

Monday’s meeting in Jackson Township on the matter was closed to the public and the media. We agree with the officials that more communication is needed as the process moves forward.

We hope that as the plan progresses, the public will be made aware of what is being considered, rather than residents finding out about it as it is being implemented.

Goldinger said the centralization plan would streamline the DUI hearing process, which he noted currently allows repeat offenders to drag out the process. He added that those accused of driving drunk or on drugs have too much control in scheduling assessments, often leading to delays in the process.

He said that, as he understands it, the plan would not require local police to attend central court hearings. He believes the proposal “wouldn’t affect the police at all.” If this ends up being the case, then concerns over the centralization plan might be unnecessary. But as these details are worked out, residents and media have a right to be informed about a proposal that could affect their communities. The process should be transparent.