West Elizabeth will be patrolled by Elizabeth police for at least three more years.

Council approved a three-year contract with Elizabeth borough by a 5-0 vote Monday night for police services.

Council vice president Frank Magill and Councilman Steve Hallam were absent.

West Elizabeth borough officials also were contracting with Clairton.

"It appears that it is a little cheaper to go with Clairton," Councilman Daryl Celestino said. "I myself talked to a few people in town. It seems like the consensus of the people in town is that they want to stay with Elizabeth. We want to please the citizens and give them what they want."

West Elizabeth council president Louise Biddle said councilors are happy they reached a three-year deal so the police contract won't have to be negotiated every year.

Clairton's proposal for police services cost $55,000 per year for three years with 100 percent of money made from fines going to Clairton. There was a possibility the city would split Department of Transportation inspection fees with West Elizabeth, if those inspections occurred.

Elizabeth's proposal was $54,662.10 for the first year followed by an additional 2 percent cost increase each of the following two years. Elizabeth borough officials offered to split fines 50 percent with West Elizabeth.

Not including the 50 percent of Elizabeth police's fines, the proposals compared for three years were a total of $165,000 for Clairton police and $167,287.58 for Elizabeth police.

Elizabeth police's splitting funding from fines earned West Elizabeth $2,180 in the first 10 months of 2011. …