Punxsutawney’s police chief is calling it quits after 11 months on the job.

We have more on why one council member says union rules may be behind his move, and the letter calling the place dysfunctional.

The mayor and council members are trying to figure out what to do next after the police chief resigned on Friday.

“I kind of thought it was gonna happen but I wasn’t sure when it was going to happen or how it was going to happen,” says Mayor Richard Alexander.

Chief James Borza’s Friday resignation letter says he does not have enough power to run the department and discipline the officers and employees, and says it’s “not possible” to fix the “dysfunctional activity” by officers and council members he was warned about.

The letter says Borza feels the mayor, who runs the police, doesn’t have enough power either.

“I think he had trouble with getting everybody on the same page. With the union, I think they have trouble disciplining or making everybody feel comfortable with policy and what they’re allowed to do and not allowed to do, and I think he felt he couldn’t have control over his department,” says council vice-president Jim Bianco.

Borza, 51, a retired state trooper who worked in the Harrisburg area and moved to Benezette, was also an Elk County sheriff’s deputy before starting his new job in April.

The council voted 5-1 to end his one-year-probation early in November “because he was doing such a good job,” according to Alexander.

“He did a good job for us,” says council president Jaime Sherry.

Mayor Alexander, a retired Jefferson County Jail sergeant, says one option is to re-advertise the $50,000-a-year job, supervising 8 full-time and 5 part-time officers. He wouldn’t discuss the other options.

“I’m in touch with him and he’s bringing me up to speed with all the things that are going on,” says Alexander.

“It takes a long time to interview people and hire the right person and we really thought that we had the department going the right way,” says Bianco.

“I just want to thank Mr. Borza for his service to the community and I just wish him well,” says Sherry.

Council members say they were planning for a 6 p.m. executive session meeting tonight. There is a public council meeting set for next Tuesday.