A Carbon County judge heard legal arguments on a petition for review of an arbitration award filed by Lansford’s former police chief Tuesday afternoon.

Former police Chief Jack Soberick filed the statutory appeal following an arbitration ruling in July 2023, which stemmed from a grievance filed three months after he retired in May 2022.

The grievance dealt with unused sick, compensatory, vacation and personal time as well as the amount of the pension benefit.

The arbitration award gave Soberick the various time in dispute, but disagreed on the calculation of the retirement benefit.

In court filings, Soberick claimed the pension benefit should be calculated at 50% of his last 36 months average salary, including overtime. He estimated the benefit would be about $550 more a month above the $2,759 a month the borough calculated without the overtime.

The arbitrator ruled the borough properly calculated the pension without the overtime, as this provision in the borough’s police contract was never formalized by ordinance.

Soberick’s contract as chief entitled him to the same benefits granted union officers, under a “me too” provision, and that he was entitled to the benefit regardless of the borough’s inaction on the ordinance.

The arbitrator disagreed, stating that if the officers did not receive the benefit, that the chief’s contract “does not grant that unrealized benefit.”

On Tuesday, the majority of arguments before Carbon County President Judge Roger N. Nanovic centered whether Soberick was entitled to the benefit or not, and the contractual matters surrounding it.

Soberick was represented by Richardson Todd Eagen of Welby, Stoltenberg, Cimballa & Cook LLC of Harrisburg.

The Borough of Lansford was represented by its labor attorney, Michael Miller of Eckert, Seamans, Cherin & Mellott, LLC of Harrisburg.