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Township budget shows municipal health insurance line jumps while partnership with Board of Education expected to cut long‑term costs
Summary
Franklin Township managers presented a municipal portion of group health costs at roughly $10.9 million for 2026 and said participation in a Board of Education partnership health center should yield $250,000–$300,000 in projected savings next year, even as near‑term payments and a $1.2 million increase raise local budget pressures.
Franklin Township managers told the council March 9 that the municipal portion of the township’s group health insurance budget is proposed at $10,920,069 for 2026, a substantial increase from last year’s municipal portion and part of an overall group‑health cost they estimated near $16 million when other participating utilities and agencies are included.
Township Manager Bob Bornlocker said the line represents only the municipal share and that other participants — the water utility, sewerage authority, library and two fire districts — account for the remainder. “That number is just the municipal budget portion that we’re responsible for in the budget,” Bornlocker said.
The manager and Human Resources Director Raven Williams described an ongoing partnership with the Board of Education’s Partnership Health Center (operated with Integrity Health and Partnership Health Center). Bornlocker said an actuary’s multi‑year analysis projects net cost savings from the partnership of roughly $250,000–$300,000 in 2026 and additional savings in 2027–2028, provided employee and retiree participation grows.
“We did a full analysis and an actuary did a study on what where we’re at with that as far as cost savings,” Bornlocker said. He added the township will begin phasing payments to the Board of Education in 2026 to cover operating costs of the facility, which contributes to the near‑term increases.
Council members pressed for detail about the partnership’s net effect. Bornlocker said the partnership is expected to provide cost savings overall but acknowledged that certain line items — including a roughly $1.2 million increase tied to the arrangement — will appear in the municipal budget this year as payments are phased in. Raven Williams said the personnel‑facing elements of the benefits package have modest annual increases (for example, an $50 per‑employee rise in the employee assistance program), but the insurance line dwarfs those items.
The presentation also noted the township’s self‑insured structure means every claim that is paid contributes directly to municipal fund outlays. Bornlocker said the township is monitoring participation and has asked the partner to hire a marketing manager to increase employee usage of the health center.
The budget discussion did not conclude with a formal vote; managers said the figures will be corrected for formula errors in some worksheets and finalized before budget adoption. The council is scheduled to consider the full municipal operating budget in coming meetings.
