W-b Crime Watches Look For Cooperation 
Group Representatives Meet To Exchange Information And Develop Common 
Policies

1 Shot Left For Back Mountain

By DAVE JANOSKI; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Thursday, July 25, 1996 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 3A 





PLYMOUTH -- The Borough Council will hire a consultant to help manage its
troubled police pension fund, the borough administrator said Wednesday. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The state has threatened to withhold its annual $40,000 contribution to the
fund, citing numerous findings of poor management and improper procedures in
an audit report released last month. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Borough Council will meet Aug. 1 to address those findings and to
announce the hiring of a consultant to oversee the fund, which has more than
$1.3 million in assets. Several candidates for the job have been interviewed,
he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We have been and are taking corrective action," said borough Administrator
Clif Madrack, adding those changes would be outlined at the Aug. 1 meeting.
The state Department of the Auditor General informed the borough of several
procedures followed by the borough that did not conform to state law when the
audit was being performed in February, he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The audit report alleges the borough failed to follow the recommendations
of a previous audit released in 1993, kept inadequate records and did not
contribute its proper share of money to the fund. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The borough has until the beginning of October to correct the deficiencies
or face a cutoff of funds. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The report claims three of the borough's six retired police officers have
received larger pension payments than they are entitled to because sections of
the borough's police contract do not conform to Act 600, the state law
governing municipal pensions. The report does not name the officers. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Madrack said that contract ran from 1989 through 1991 and the pension
language was retained in a subsequent contract that expired last year. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A new contract that would take care of the audit's concerns has been
settled, but not yet signed. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "That contract was absolutely in violation with Act 600," Madrack admitted.
"But if somebody negotiates a contract that's in violation of the law, they
are still bound by it. We have to live by it." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Madrack said borough officials are still studying documents to determine if
they agree overpayments were made to retirees. The state has said any
overpayments would have to be refunded by the retirees. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Madrack said he did not know how much the fund expends yearly on pension
payments. The borough has two full-time police officers and about a dozen
part-timers who are not covered by the labor contract or pension. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Plymouth Looks To Adviser For Pension Help The State Has Threatened To Withhold Its Contribution To The Police Fund, Citing Violations