The head of Lehighton’s police force has received a new one-year pact that calls for a 6% raise in his salary.

By a 4-0 vote, borough council on Monday approved police Chief Troy Abelovsky’s 2025 employment contract. Council members Autumn Abelovsky and John Kreitz were absent.

Abelovsky’s new salary will be $110,240, which borough Manager Dane DeWire noted before council’s vote that the salary Abelovsky requested has been budgeted for.

Before the vote, borough Mayor Ryan Saunders recommended that council approve Abelovsky’s new contract based on his performance.

After the vote, Abelovsky expressed his gratitude toward council.

“I’d like to thank council for approving my contract in 2025,” Abelovsky said.

Abelovsky was hired by council on a 5-0 vote in November 2023 as the borough’s new police chief.

He was hired under the terms of a one-year contract at a salary of $100,000, prorated through the end of that year.

The contract called for a 4% raise in 2024, which pushed his salary to $104,000.

Abelovsky replaced former borough police Chief Joe Sparich, for whom council accepted his resignation in September 2023.

Sparich was appointed as police chief by council on a 3-2 measure in July 2022 at a salary of $95,000.

Cpl. Bruce Broyles had been officer-in-charge before Abelovsky was hired as police chief.

Abelovsky has over 29 years in law enforcement.

A 1993 graduate of Northampton Area High School, Abelovsky had been employed by the Bethlehem Township Police Department, Bethlehem Township, since 2000. He became sergeant of their department in March 2023. Before that, he was their Cpl. from 2015-2023, and a patrolman from 2000 to 2015.

He previously worked as a patrolman for the Macungie Police Department from 1998-2000, and Walnutport Police Department from 1996-1998.

Abelovsky is a graduate of the Allentown Police Academy, where he graduated with 95.97%, and completed with Act 120 Certification in 1995.

Throughout his career, he has earned over a dozen certifications, and won various awards, such as eight unit citations for Specific Critical Incidents during police duties; Merit for Operation Nighthawk (DUI Program); Letters of Commendation from community members for his services; St. Luke’s Adult Level 1 Trauma Center Award (2015); and Project Lifesaver Certificate of Commendation (2022).