SPRINGDALE, Pa. — Members of Springdale Borough’s council voted Tuesday to pursue charges against the borough’s police chief for pay they say he received for not doing work.
“In my opinion, it’s a political hack job, a political witch hunt, because they can't do anything to me because I’m elected,” Springdale Mayor Ken Lloyd said in defense of the police chief.
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The board is accusing Police Chief Julio Mederios III of “misuse and possible theft of time as document in (a) forensic audit.”
The announcement to pursue charges was made public Tuesday following an executive session in which Borough Solicitor Craig Alexander presented his findings on Mederios’ “billable hours.”
“The audit concluded that there’s a possibility that a number of hours were unauthorized,” Alexander said.
About 165 hours over about a two-year period are in question. Alexander said the chief didn’t work the hours, but was paid for them.
“He didn’t do anything illegal whatsoever,” Lloyd said.
The mayor said that the police chief is a salaried employee and put in more than 50 hours a week.
“Every time, every day, every minute, every second he had my approval. If you look in the borough code, I’m in charge of the police officer,” Lloyd said.
For that reason, Lloyd said he’s confident the alleged “theft of time” that the borough council members referred to never took place.
“He’s entitled to commencement time. They still own him money for as much as he worked,” Lloyd said.
Mederios is currently on paid administrative leave.
Borough leaders have scheduled another meeting at which they will decide whether to formally file charges.