Officials with Etna and Reserve say they need to further explore the possibility of forming a regional police force after a state study found it would cost more to operate than the municipalities’ existing departments.

A regional police department with 12 full-time officers would start with an annual budget of $2.17 million, the study by the Governor’s Center for Local Government Services found. The cost is 10.2% more than the $1.97 million Etna and Reserve now spend separately — 9.3% more for Etna and 11.3% more for Reserve.

The proposed operating budget was cited as “one item of concern” in a joint statement issued Thursday and signed by Reserve Commissioners President Ron Neurohr and Etna Council President David Becki.

The higher cost “was unexpected and, for that reason, we feel that more information is needed in order to better understand this conclusion,” the statement says.

Etna and Reserve announced in April that they were exploring the possibility of forming a regional police department. The study from the center, part of the state Department of Community and Economic Development, was received in September.

The study, done at no cost to either municipality, recommended that Etna and Reserve form a regional police department, finding it would improve the delivery of police services, especially if more municipalities were to join in the future.

“Both sides acknowledge the benefits of regionalization but are hesitant to burden taxpayers with any additional costs,” Reserve Manager Jan Kowalski told TribLive. “We plan to request more information from DCED on how the proposed budget was arrived at and look for possible cost savings and/or adjustments that might make a merger financially feasible.

“While additional grant funding is normally available for regionalization, it’s not guaranteed and, therefore, we don’t want to rely on that,” she said.

Etna Mayor Robert Tunon said both communities are committed to maintaining and operating the best community-oriented police departments while balancing economic realities.

“The Borough of Etna is grateful for the opportunity to explore a regionalization concept with Reserve Township and the Pennsylvania Department of Economic Development, and we recognize together that it must be the best possible arrangement — both structurally and financially,” Tunon told TribLive. “The DCED report that was presented was very well done, and we’ll look to see if there are additional options to consider or further information that could help us explore other alternatives. For now, each community remains focused on managing its individual department and ensuring excellent service for our residents.”

The joint statement said officials from both municipalities plan to continue conversations. Kowalski said it’s likely to wait until after each reorganizes in January following the November election, so that any newly elected officials have a chance to participate.

“Both governing bodies remain committed to providing high-quality community police services,” the statement said. “We realize that a regional force could preserve this tradition while also allowing for better training and advancement opportunities. This would lead to better recruitment and retention of officers and provide a more complete service to the community.”

The study is available online at Etna and Reserve’s websites, etnaborough.org and reservetwp.com. It is also included in a TribLive report from Oct. 1.

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