Town Carries On as Policemen, Workers Strike

Private contractors cleared snow from city streets, state policemen were on patrol and a city official shoveled the steps of City Hall on Friday, the second day of a walkout by municipal employees.

“I would say we have the situation fairly under control right now,” Mayor Herbert Pfuhl said.

Capt. Tom Petrore, one of five police officers still working, said state police officers were taking care of all police calls. “We’ve had some accidents and a couple of break-ins, but that’s normal,” he said.

No Clerical Help

City Finance Director Calvin D. McCracken shoveled snow from the steps of City Hall, where code enforcement offices were closed and other city agencies, like the treasurer’s office, were staffed by supervisors without clerical help.

More than 50 members of the city’s police force, 30 of the city’s 58 firefighters and nearly all non-uniformed workers walked off the job Thursday after the city entered the new year without a new municipal budget.

Officials said they may go to court Monday to force police officers to work while the city resolves its budget problems.

To Veto Budget

Pfuhl said he expected no change in the situation until at least next week, when, he said, he will probably veto the City Council’s proposed $7.7-million municipal budget.

Pfuhl, citing a revenue shortage of about $2 million, has proposed a $6.7-million budget that includes cutbacks in all municipal departments. Under Pfuhl’s plan, the police force would be cut to 29 officers from 56 and the fire department would be cut to 28 firefighters from 58.

The city of about 35,000 people has suffered economically in recent years, mostly because of cutbacks at a Bethlehem Steel Corp. mill.