Select Board discusses COLA policy, health‑insurance costs and buy‑back as budget season begins

Select Board members discussed an employee compensation policy proposal and the town’s health‑insurance costs during the Aug. 18 meeting as budget season approached. Select Board member Letty proposed language for the employee handbook stating the board’s intention to keep compensation even with inflation: “To that end, barring extenuating budgetary circumstances, all town employees will get an annual pay increase of no less than the federal Social Security COLA for the same year.” Board members asked for wording changes to avoid creating an absolute mandate and agreed to distribute the revised draft for legal review and further discussion before taking action. Board members and staff also reviewed town health‑insurance costs and a possible buy‑back (an incentive payment to employees who decline town coverage and enroll in a spouse’s or partner’s plan). The town’s annual cost per employee for the single plan was identified as $15,850 (town cost per enrolled employee, not the employee contribution); couple and family plan costs were discussed and depend on plan choice. Deputy Chief Roy Olson and others said the current buy‑back level (about $1,300, per discussion) is far below what many other departments offer (commonly a third to 50% of the premium), and that buy‑back levels are a recruitment factor for public‑safety hires. The board asked staff to prepare numbers showing the town’s current insurance premiums, employee contributions by plan, and the fiscal impact of alternative buy‑back levels and plan structures so the Select Board and Budget Committee can evaluate options during budget deliberations.