Ken O'Brien
Council Chairman Shaun Moriarty voted against the proposal to have the insurance plan for town employees mirror the GIC benchmark plan at the March 23rd meeting of the Town Council. With the proposal scheduled to be taken up again tonight, Councilor Moriarty has changed his position.
He explained his change of heart earlier today on his FaceBook page.
At
6:00 tonight, there will be a special Council of the Whole meeting in Council
Chambers. The debate will center around the health insurance program offered to
Town employees.
It
was in the fall that I, among other Councilors, pushed to have the health insurance
offerings looked at and improved in an attempt to retain good employees in the
schools, in the ranks of the police and fire departments, over at the DPW, and
in the offices of Town Hall. Currently, Town employees share a 50/50 split for
their health insurance -- something that has been a recurring theme in exit
interviews for those who choose to leave for other communities.
Our
interim Town Manager and the Town's financial team put in a great deal of work
and time looking at the matter, and have proposed several options to
investigate further. Among them is what is known as the benchmark plan.
The
benchmark plan would restructure the costs associated with health care,
allowing for a more employee-friendly split (60/40 being the goal for the
immediate future). On the downside, co-pays would increase noticeably for those
on the Town insurance. While high claims drive up costs, our Town employees are
not abstract numbers or welchers of a system, but rather are our friends, our
family, our neighbors. They are people we should do right by.
At
the same time, we must be cognizant and mindful of the Town's finances, raised
through taxes. Creating an 80/20 split would be great, but at what cost? A
balance must be struck, and all parties must be heard and considered as the
Town weighs its options.
Having
attended the majority of IAC meetings, doing my own research, talking employees
with varying opinions, and learning a great deal more about the issues and
options, I find myself of the belief that the benchmark plan provides the best
bang for the buck for both sides, while moving the needle to a more favorable
split for the employees.
As
a Town Council, we have obligations to the taxpayers and residents of our
community. As a Town, we have an obligation to our employees. The benchmark
does the most good for the greatest number of people, which is why I have grown
to support it.
Could it be because he is up for election....hmmmm.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fraud.
ReplyDeleteHey, at least our future Mayor explained his vote!
ReplyDeleteAll of them voted the same way, but only one is singled out as a fraud? If one is a fraud, aren't they all?
If you take a gander, we all get goosed.