Milton Twp. unable to pay police officers

LAKE MILTON -- Milton Township trustees conducted a special meeting this morning after learning they didn't have enough money to pay the township's police officers.
Trustees Frank Tomaino and James Donithan voted 2-0 at the 9:20 a.m. meeting to deposit a tax rollback check worth $18,875 in the township general fund and use it to pay the police. Trustee Ron Smolek did not attend the meeting.
The meeting took place after police officers called the trustees and said they had not received their paychecks today, which is their usual payday.
Trustees had a special meeting in October to discuss a $19,000 shortfall in the police department's budget this year. At the meeting, the township clerk informed the trustees that they had only enough money for one more police pay period.
No action was taken on the shortfall at the meeting.
Police Chief William Moretz said some of the shortfall stems from the trustees' use of township money to pay an officer who should have been paid with a federal grant.