The towns of Southampton and Westhampton have finalized warrants for upcoming special Town Meetings, asking residents to vote on articles that would help address midyear health insurance increases from the Hampshire County Group Insurance Trust (HCGIT), among other items.
Southampton
In Southampton, residents will be asked to vote on 13 articles at the Saturday, Dec. 6 meeting, which begins at 10 a.m. at Norris Elementary School. Among those are items is a request to transfer $327,000 to cover health insurance increases and to turn the Finance Committee into an appointed rather than elected body.
In the months following the health insurance increases by the HCGIT, communities in the trust have scrambled to find alternative options to move to a different provider. Southampton has become one of the first communities to switch to the state’s Group Insurance Commission (GIC), having made the decision recently after a month of union negotiations.
Town Administrator Scott Szczebak said moving to the GIC is going to save municipal, school and retired employees money on insurance.
“There’s a little risk to it obviously, there’s a little risk with anything but it gives us savings,” he said about the switch.
Szczebak explained that the HCGIT gave only two coverage options, one of which was at a steep cost. With the GIC, there are multiple options.
Article 1 at the special Town Meeting asks the town to vote to transfer $327,185 to cover the costs of the HCGIT increase that kicked in on Oct. 1. Though this vote does not relate to the decision to switch to the GIC next fiscal year, officials say the request is crucial to help the town refill funds used to pay the increase.
Szczebak said it is important for residents to vote for the transfer that aims to help the town avoid any layoffs or service reductions which face many other communities.
The funding for Article 1 comes from multiple sources — $150,000 from operating, $125,000 from capital, $2,185 from ambulance funds and $50,000 from general highway wages.
Article 1 does not account for the $200,000 increase to the Hampshire Regional High School’s portion of health insurance, which the town will need to cover in the future.
Article 2, if approved, would make a significant change to the Finance Committee, by having its members be appointed by the town moderator rather than elected.
The meeting was previously scheduled for Sept. 30 before being postponed after officials decided to remove an article requesting $11.97 million in funding for a new senior center. Szczebak said the senior center item will likely be revisited next year, but with the health insurance increase, it is best to postpone for now.
Besides Articles 1 and 2, the majority of the warrant seeks to amend different policies and bylaws, transfer funds, and land and grant acquisitions. The town needs 50 residents to create a quorum.
Westhampton
Residents will be asked to vote on six articles at its special Town Meeting on Monday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall, including the approval of Article 2 to fund to pay for the town’s $126,000 health insurance increase.
Westhampton has opted to remain in the HCGIT next year after many weeks of fishing for other options.
At a previous meeting, Select Board member Jennifer Milikowsky said one analysis assessing a switch to the GIC found that the financial implications are unknown for a small town like Westhampton.
Town Coordinator Doug Finn said if the article passes, the appropriation of roughly $126,000 would come from about $430,00 in free cash.
“We won’t run out of money until early April, so we need to make this appropriation,” Finn said.
There was previously an article on the draft warrant that asked residents to vote to raise or appropriate money for the purchase of a police cruiser, though it has since been removed. Finn said the town felt it was best to postpone this item for an annual town meeting.
Article 1 asks for the town to raise or appropriate money to pay for expenses from previous fiscal years, that amounts to roughly $6,200. Articles 3 through 6 ask for zoning and general bylaw adjustments. The town needs 15 residents for a quorum.
