Opinion ID: 2223990
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Matter of Town of Orangetown v Orangetown Policemen's Benevolent Assn.

Text: The Town of Orangetown and its Town Board brought this proceeding against the Orangetown Policemen's Benevolent Association (Orangetown PBA) and a police officer, seeking to stay arbitration of a dispute between the Town and the officer over a disciplinary issue. The Orangetown PBA and the officer had sought arbitration pursuant to article 15 of the collective bargaining agreement between the Town and the union, which prescribed detailed procedures, culminating in an arbitration, for any dispute concerning the discipline or discharge of an Orangetown police officer. Supreme Court granted the application to stay arbitration. Relying on Matter of Rockland County Patrolmen's Benevolent Assn. v Town of Clarkstown (149 AD2d 516 [2d Dept 1989]) and Matter of Town of Greenburgh ( Police Assn. of Town of Greenburgh ) (94 AD2d 771, 772 [2d Dept 1983]), Supreme Court held that article 15 is invalid under the Rockland County Police Act, because that act commits police discipline to the discretion of local authorities. The Appellate Division affirmed. The specific issue that gave rise to this case is now moot, because the Town and the officer have settled their differences, but the Town and the Orangetown PBA continue to disagree about article 15's validity, and both sides have asked us to decide that question. We therefore convert the proceeding to a declaratory judgment action and declare that, as the courts below held, article 15 is invalid.