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Belgrade residents press board over separation agreement, vacation payout and town‑paid health insurance for departing manager
Summary
Residents raised questions about a memorandum of understanding keeping the departing town manager on payroll through July 2, the town's payment of her health insurance for two months, and a planned vacation payout charged to a benefit reserve; the board said the agreement was reviewed by the town attorney and that funding will come from a benefit reserve and budgeted health‑insurance funds.
Multiple residents used the public comment period to ask for clarity about the memorandum of understanding (MOU) reached with the departing town manager and the financial impacts on the town.
A resident asked that the board publish the MOU and explain "what accounts these monies were coming out of," questioned the legality and precedent of continuing to pay health insurance after a May 1 resignation, and requested transparency about the calculation of the vacation payout. The resident said, "I don't want to pay $3,500 for a non‑employee's health insurance," and asked whether the board had consulted counsel. The board responded that the agreement had been approved by the town attorney and that the board would discuss funding under "other business."
Later in the meeting board members and staff explained the funding approach: the planned vacation payout would come from a benefit reserve (a line identified in the draft audit at approximately $31,000) and the health‑insurance cost for the departing manager through July would be charged to budgeted health‑insurance funds and salary balances. The town's attorney had advised that a contract employee arrangement allowed the negotiated terms, including payout timing and a period of limited employment status during the payout, but residents expressed concern that treating a departing manager differently could set a precedent.
No final resolution of public concerns or additional board vote to change funding sources is recorded in the public transcript beyond motions and statements that the board had approved the MOU and that attorney review occurred; the town will need to publish the MOU and related personnel records as appropriate under personnel‑record rules and to reconcile reserve accounting with the auditor's guidance.
