Bruce Markovich, a Republican candidate for mayor of Lansford, is running for the position “due to the ongoing fiscal and scheduling mismanagement of the Lansford Police Department,” he said.

“The taxpayers of Lansford pay the highest borough tax rate within the Panther Valley. We spend more on our police department than either Summit Hill or Nesquehoning yet we do not have around the clock coverage,” Markovich said. “The department is in need of a complete review and overhaul by a professional outside agency such as the Department of Community and Economic Development.”

Once the review is complete, he said he will work with council to implement the changes recommended by DCED.

Markovich said the department has already exceeded its budget for the first quarter of this year by over $70,000.

“If this continues, money budgeted for the department will be exhausted by October,” he said. “Scheduling of the police department will be done to meet the needs of the community not the needs of individual police officers.”

Markovich said in the past two years the borough has spent nearly $200,000 for a new vehicle, upgraded bullet proof vests, new cellphones, body cameras, new weapons and security cameras.

“Our salary and benefit costs per officer are the highest in Carbon County based upon our assessed taxable valuation. If some of these costs brought about by poor scheduling are not brought under control the residents of Lansford will be facing a monumental tax increase next year or the eventual disbandment of the police department,” Markovich said.