The Salem Board of Selectmen got some bad news Monday night regarding projected health insurance costs for the 2013 town budget, forcing them to go back to the drawing board to find savings.
After much discussion similar to those at the end of their budget deliberations last month, the nearly 1 percent decrease from the 2012 to the 2013 budget has been wiped out.
After some additions and subtractions, the 2013 selectmen's budget now has a tax impact of $7.06 per $1,000 of valued property. That's the same as 2012.
Town Manager Keith Hickey told selectmen that projected 2013 health insurance costs from Cigna, the town's provider, are for an 18 percent increase in the cost of premiums. That would add some $282,000 to the general fund budget, with increase of $14,749 to the water budget and $3,147 to the sewer budget.
"Overall we felt 10 percent was a conservative increase for our 2013 rates," Hickey said.
Hickey was hopeful that working with the town's broker to negotiate out some of the larger, one-time claims from some employees would lead to that number being reduced to 14 or 15 percent.
With that in mind, selectmen went back into the budget to find savings.
The board voted 5-0 to cut both replacement pay and overtime budgets for the Salem Police and Fire Departments by $25,000 each. Later, they voted 4-1 to cut each budget by an additional $10,000, with Michael Lyons in opposition each time.
They cut the community contributions warrant article by $15,000, with the intent of not contributing to the Rockingham County Community Action Program.
They also agreed to cut $15,000 from a proposed $90,000 capital project to build a new server room in Town Hall by a 3-2 vote.
Jim Keller, who voted against reducing that project along with Lyons, later proposed cutting the remaining $75,000, believing it wasn't enough to complete the project.
After a lengthy discussion, selectmen agreed to leave the $75,000 in the budget but will meeting with representatives from IT contractor Neoscope about what other options for that money may be on the table.
At the request of Lyons, selectmen voted 3-2 to restore $15,000 to the assessing department
For revenues, selectmen added $33,000 in highway block grant funding they are expecting to receive in 2013 for which was not previously budgeted.
Attempts to change a proposed cash purchase of a new ambulance to a lease and to reduce of a clerk in the Community Development department from full-time to part-time failed.
The 2013 town budget is presently in the hands of the Budget Committee. They are continuing their review of department budgets on Wednesday.
Source: http://salem-nh.patch.com/articles/health-insurance-costs-force-2013-budget-cuts
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