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WRIGHT TWP. &mdash; Township Police Chief Royce Engler, a 42-year law enforcement veteran, was told Wednesday afternoon his contract will not be renewed for 2021, sources said.
				Engler was told at 3 p.m. about the township&rsquo;s plans when he began his vacation, said Dave Winsock, president of the Wright Township Police Officer Association and a board member of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #36.
				&ldquo;He was notified today that his contract will not be renewed,&rdquo; Winsock said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been an officer for 22 years. Chief Engler is a working chief, he goes out on patrol, serves search warrants and does administrative duties. He&rsquo;s well respected in the community and Mountain Top.
				&ldquo;We feel as a union we need to step up for the chief,&rdquo; Winsock added.
				Engler could not be reached for comment late Wednesday night.
				Winsock said the union contract for township police officers and police chief expired on Dec. 31, 2019. A contract was reached with the police officers&rsquo; union during 2020 but not with Engler, Winsock said.
				Winsock said due to the coronavirus, township supervisors met virtually, making it difficult to ask questions about negotiations with the police chief. When someone did ask during a virtual meeting, Winsock said the person was told negotiations with the police chief were a personnel issue and could not be discussed.
				Several sources, including law enforcement sources who work with Engler (excluding Winsock) said Brian Macko has been mentioned as the next police chief.
				Macko recently retired from the township police force, where he was employed since 1993. His wife, Colleen Macko, is a township supervisor.
				Township supervisors in July by a 3-2 vote passed an early retirement incentive that provided up to $20,000 to township employees who were eligible to retire by the end of 2020. Those who retired received $10,000 with the second $10,000 due at the one-year anniversary of retirement, according to township records.
				Colleen Macko seconded the motion for the early retirement incentive, according to township records.
				Along with Brian Macko, two employees with the township department of public works retired and each was awarded the retirement incentive.
				When reached for comment on Wednesday, township solicitor Jack Dean denied that Engler&rsquo;s contract would not be renewed, saying that the report &ldquo;wasn&rsquo;t true, not to my knowledge.&rdquo;
				Dean added that the township had been negotiating Engler&rsquo;s contract over the course of the year, but couldn&rsquo;t elaborate further on it as a personnel matter.
				Township supervisors are scheduled to meet virtually on Dec. 30.
				***
				Staff writer Kevin Carroll contributed to this report.

Sources: Wright Twp. police chief told contract won’t be renewed at end of year