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China Select Board keeps current employee health plan and funds HRA at $2,000/$4,000
Summary
After public comment, the Select Board voted Nov. 17 to remain with the Katahdin insurance plan for 2026 and to fund the health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) at $2,000/$4,000; the motion passed with the tally recorded in the minutes.
The China Select Board voted to remain with the Katahdin insurance plan for 2026 and to fund a health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) at $2,000 for single coverage and $4,000 for family coverage.
Thomas Rumpf moved and Natasha Littlefield seconded the motion "to stay with the Katahdin and fund the HRA at $2,000/$4,000." The minutes record the motion as approved with the notation "approved 3-1(BAC)-1(EB)." The minutes do not itemize how each member voted beyond that notation; they provide the tally but do not decode the parenthetical abbreviations. The board discussion noted private broker plans were more expensive and less attractive, and members emphasized balancing costs to taxpayers with preserving employee benefits.
Several public commenters urged the board to avoid reducing employee benefits. Jennifer Chamberlain said health insurance costs always rise and warned against using that as a reason to cut promised benefits; Shawn Reed and a letter read by Julie Finley (from Kelly Grotton) made similar points about retention and out‑of‑pocket costs for staff. Amber French urged the board to challenge the RSU 18 budget rather than reduce staff benefits. Chair Brent Chesley said he favored a plan that preserves benefits and described his votes as seeking compromise among options discussed.
The board's motion implements the insurance decision for 2026 as recorded in the minutes; administrative steps to enroll staff or finalize vendor paperwork were not detailed in the meeting record.
