MINOTOLA -- Representatives from Vineland and Franklin Township converged on Buena Borough Hall to give presentations to the Buena Borough Council Wednesday afternoon.



Buena Borough, an Atlantic County town home to about 4,000, is mulling over the possibility of entering a shared policing agreement and ending its police force. Buena council members asked questions about response times, coverage and the presence the police would have in the community.



Buena Mayor Dave Zappariello requested a budget projection up to the year 2020 from the borough's auditor 2020. Factors such as a dwindling surplus and non-guaranteed state aid have forced the borough to look at its expenses.



"It is a dire picture," said Zappariello. "Buena Borough does not have a spending problem. We have a revenue problem. There are not enough commercial ratables that can ease the burden of the residential tax."

Buena Regional High School celebrates prom 2017 (PHOTOS)



The borough looked at the police department, the largest item on the budget. When taking into account elements such as salaries and insurance, it costs the borough $1.8 million to operate.



"There are many who say you cannot put a price on safety, and I agree wholeheartedly," added Zappariello. "But we are at the point where we do not have the financial resources to even keep our own officers safe."



Both Vineland and Franklin Township presented how their department would be able to serve Buena, each highlighting why the council should choose their department to protect the borough's citizens.

Both towns border Buena, with Vineland boasting 60,000 residents in the Cumberland County city and Franklin with more than 16,000 residents in Gloucester County.

"We are a much larger agency with a tremendous amount of resources that would be available to Buena as well," said Vineland director of public safety Edwin F. Alicea Sr. "We have not only the patrol guys on duty, we have street crimes unit, narcotics unit and we have a large detective bureau. We can provide the same services that we have in Vineland to Buena as well."



Alicea Sr. was among the contingent that represented Vineland along with police chief Rudy Beu and other police department representative. Franklin Township sent a delegation that included Franklin Township police chief Brian Zimmer and Nancy Kennedy-Brent, administrator for township and director of law.



"In addition to saving the Borough of Buena considerable amounts of money, we're going to be able to do a lot for the officers," said Kennedy-Brent. "We've already vowed in our proposal to give hiring preferences to officers that are currently in Buena because our chief recognizes that a lot of what the retired chief said is true. There is nobody who knows this township better than the people who serve it. It's our intention to give them every consideration in terms of hiring."



Buena Borough will review both proposals and make a decision at a later date.