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June 17, 2009

Health benefits for supervisors questioned

By LOHR McKINSTRY

ELIZABETHTOWN — The question of whether members of the Essex County Board of Supervisors should get fully paid health insurance from the county will be decided in July.

Supervisor Daniel Connell (D-Westport) said this week that he thought everyone on the county payroll was contributing toward the cost of their health insurance but recently learned that is not the case.

"I've had calls that we are not following our policies and procedures. I understand there are some individuals who are not paying the contribution rate."

FREE INSURANCE
County Personnel Officer Monica Feeley said it is just one individual who is not contributing toward health costs.

"I've been asked to hold off until a determination has been made by the board."

Supervisor Joyce Morency (R-St. Armand) identified herself as the elected official receiving the benefits.

She said a revision to the county policy manual that lumped elected officials in with union workers is an error.

"When the policy manual was done, it said elected officials were included as CSEA (Civil Service Employees Association) union-contract people. I am not in that category. I am an elected official of Essex County."

READY TO FIGHT
She said that when she was first elected, the county paid supervisors only $9,000 a year, and the paid health insurance was intended to offset the low pay.

"If you think I'm going to voluntarily go down without a battle, you're wrong. I have been told I would be grandfathered in because of my years of devotion to Essex County. I'm not about to give it up."

Morency is the longest-serving supervisor in the county. She took office in 1981.

OTHERS PAY
Supervisor Thomas Scozzafava (R-Moriah) said that as County Finance Committee chair he was aware of the situation.

"The policy manual that's in place was voted on by this Board of Supervisors. It didn't just happen."

He said other elected officials who get their health insurance from the county are paying part of the cost.

"When they started, they didn't contribute to their health insurance, either. We, as elected officials, can't have a double-standard here. It's a slippery slope we're going down."

He said he was glad Connell brought it up.

"Obviously, this board will make the final determination as to where we should go. It's putting our personnel officer and our county treasurer in a terrible, terrible situation."

EXCEPTIONS
Supervisor Noel Merrihew III (R-Elizabethtown) said a resolution should be prepared to address the issue.

"(We) have the ability to make exceptions, and it will be done by this body."

He said the Board of Supervisors has acted responsibly on other matters, such as the minimum service for county retirement, which went from five to 15 years to save money.

Feeley said 2008 was when contributions were required on individual health plans.

"Other people with family plans have had to contribute from our last contract. But this just started."

The amount of money Morency would have been required to pay toward her insurance so far is between $300 and $400. The deductions were not made because she would not sign the necessary form last year.

FEW RAISES
Morency said supervisors are now paid only $17,335 a year by the county. They also receive salaries from their towns.

"We go many, many years without taking a salary raise of any kind. We don't get the benefits employees get. We don't get time for vacations, the nice little (longevity) checks if you're here for 10 years."

Scozzafava said anyone who runs for supervisor should know in advance how much the position pays.

"I knock on doors and ask for this (job). If you're not satisfied with the pay and benefits, make a choice."

County Attorney Daniel Manning III said he will have a recommendation by the July meeting of the Board of Supervisors.

"It needs to be dealt with one way or another."

E-mail Lohr McKinstry at: lmckinstry@pressrepublican.com

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