Those who elected to accept the $5,000 waiver included five members of City Council, (Mayor Wm. James, and council members, John Hutchinson, Jay Brophy, Nicholas Marchese, and Helen Bucher) all part-time employees and 15 full-time employees. See list below. The City is paying for the cost of health insurance for Councilman Bruce Parry, also a part-time employee. Councilman Dan Spencer said in the past that he does not accept the waiver nor does he partake in the City’s health plan. 

According to figures released by Frank Robertson, the City’s Financial Officer, there are 99 full-time employees receiving health care, one part-time employee (Parry) along with 51 retired city employees. A breakdown of the costs for this insurance reveals: 

Medical and Dental …………………….$2,320,180

Prescription Plan…………………………….666,241

Medicare Reimbursements……………………26,723

Vision Reimbursements……………………….1,264

TOTAL PAYMENTS…………………….$3,014,408

Less:

Employee Deductions…………………($137,800) estimate

COBRA Prescription Payments……….($12,000) estimate

NET COST TO CITY……………………$2,864,608

PLUS: 

Payment to Employees for waiver of Health Care $75,534

TOTAL COST to TAXPAYERS: $2,940,142

LIST OF EMPLOYEES WHO WAIVE HEALTH BENEFITS

It is our opinion Gloucester City council members should not receive paid health benefits, a practice that has been going on for decades. Why? Because they are part-time employees. Another reason is the annual cost to taxpayers for this perk which in past years reached as high as $80,000. In fact, one councilman\’s health benefits cost taxpayers $19,000 annually.

We believe that mayor and council should not receive this perk nor do we believe they should be paid any money for not taking the insurance. For the past six years we have been urging council members to do the right thing. 

Below is an excerpt from a CNBNews article on this topic that was posted on December 11, 2006. At the bottom of this article are links to several other 

 Members who volunteer their time to serve on the Gloucester City School Board are not entitled to health benefits since they too are part-time volunteers. Which is the way it should be.

Incidentally here in Gloucester City some council members who receive their health benefits from there employer are entitled to be reimbursed from the City for not accepting the city\’s health plan.

photo credit and caption Anne Forline

GLOUCESTER CITY NJ-Talented Students – All smiles after giving reports about their school to the Gloucester City Board of Education are, from left: Matthew Cruz from Mary Ethel Costello School and Jacey Wagner from Cold Springs School. Not pictured is Gloucester City High School student representative, Brett Kraft.

JEER-Both Democrat and Republican politicians use scare tactics so you will vote for them. Hyping up their political claims are the liberal and conservative media outlets. You don’t know who to believe anymore. It is very wrong. No wonder the average person has lost faith in those running for office and those running our governments. They lie to get elected and continue to lie to stay there.

• SUV Hits Pole And Snaps In Half; Two People Hurt
• 
  
• Gloucester City School Board Welcomes Superintendent Joseph Rafferty
• 
  
• Bellmawr CPR Student Saves Victim Choking In Restaurant

• Mount Ephraim Police Prevent Robbery, Nab Child Pornographer

• Gloucester Catholic Graduates Wins Emmy Award

• Brooklawn Borough Council Mulls Creating Website

RELATED: 

Related articles