The Mamaroneck Town Board approved a stipulation to the Police Benevolent Association’s (PBA) expired contract that would, among other things, increase the amount that new hires contribute to their medical insurance, helping to ease the ever increasing mandated costs that many local municipalities are burdened with.
The four-year contract, effective Jan. 1, 2012, will specify that all new hires will contribute 15 percent of the cost of their medical insurance for the tenure of their employment, up to $4,000.
Over the next four years, however, the cap could not be reached said Town Administrator Steve Altieri, who explained that a rise in premium would mean that employees contribute more.
“That is something we’ve been trying to do in all of our collective bargaining agreements,” he said.
Additional savings were achieved by the removal of a provision that allowed for a $6.50 meal allowance during overtime tours, saving the town a total of $8,000. Reductions in educational benefits include reimbursing officers for two of the four courses they are permitted to take annually at State University of New York rates, regardless of where they attend school. The other two courses will be reimbursed at the going rate of the university.
Salary increases will remain at 1.75 percent from Jan. 1, 2011 through Jan. 1, 2012, and then will increase to 2.75 percent at the beginning of 2013. Increases in 2014 would be deferred until June 1, and will remain at 2.75 percent.
“This was based upon what we thought was appropriate for recruiting purposes and also the range of salaries in like communities around the county,” said Altieri.
In November, the Larchmont Board for the village’s PBA, freezing wage increases at 1.5 percent for the three-year contract term and asking newly hired employees to contribute 25 percent to their healthcare costs and 50 percent upon retirement. According to Larchmont Mayor Josh Mandell, it was the lowest increase in 25 years.
