City Hires Three Police Officers, Makes Offer to Economic Development Director

The Gaithersburg Police Department is back up to full force for the first time in more than six months after hiring three new officers, and the City has made an offer to a candidate for the Economic Development Director's position.

Chief Mark P. Sroka said on Jan. 7 the department hired the officers, who are all PO I's, or entry-level officers, bringing the force back up to its full strength of 54 sworn personnel.

There were two positions left open in July when the Gaithersburg City Council adopted what Mayor Sidney Katz called the City's toughest budget in decades.

The City is also in the process of offering a job to one of the final two candidates for the newly created Economic Development Director position.

Assistant City Manager Tony Tomasello said in an email that, "we are in the middle of making an offer but have not completed the contingent background checks, physical, etc."

While specific information on the salary being offered was not immediately available, Tomasello said, "I think it’s safe to assume the position will pay near the top of the range, though, given the credentials of the finalists."

Both candidates in the final running were qualified, Tomasello said in January, but would have offered different approaches.

"They're very different kinds of people," he said. "Both are capable of doing the job."

He said one would be able to connect planning, development and transportation, the other would be more of a sales person.

"Both are good sets of skills," Tomasello.

One of the candidates is from Maryland, but not from the Gaithersburg area, and the other is from the south, he added.

He could not specify which candidate had been extended the offer.

The dramatically reduced spening plan adopted by the City last year avoided laying off any full-time employees, but created only one new position—an economic development director who's job would be overseeing a new $2 million fund earmarked for bringing new businesses to the City.

City Manager Angel Jones vowed this summer that the two vacant police officer positions would be the first new hires the City made since instituting a hiring freeze last year.

Sroka said an officer retired in November and the third officer is a replacement.