Reduction in Health Insurance Hike Helps Get Mt. Pleasant Under Tax Cap
News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
An unexpected sharp reduction in Mount Pleasant’s health insurance premium for 2025 has reduced the town’s spending by nearly $300,000 enabling officials to present a budget for next year that is under the tax cap.
Mount Pleasant Comptroller Noreen McGinty told the Town Board last week that the anticipated hike of 12 percent for health insurance costs was cut to a more manageable 5 percent increase. The previous preliminary budget calculation had the town exceeding the tax cap by about $229,000.
McGinty said there had been a report by the state earlier this year estimating a 12 percent jump, but just before Thanksgiving her office was notified by the state that the final number was less than half that increase. With the reduction in health insurance costs, she estimated the tax levy increase last week at about 2.5 percent, and with carryover from last week would adhere to the cap.
While the encouraging turn of events was a pleasant surprise for town officials, some members of the board questioned whether they should pursue trimming the more than $64 million budget before it is finalized. More than 50 people attended the Nov. 26 public hearing, an unusually high turnout compared to recent years, and most of those who spoke criticized the board for failing to stay under the tax cap, including taking raises and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on the voting rights case.
Councilwoman Laurie Rogers Smalley said given the tenor of the public comments at the last meeting, the board should look to make a few cuts to show the public they are not just relying on the sudden good fortune regarding health insurance.
“I think we have to go in there with some changes and prove to the electorate we thought about what we need,” Smalley said. “Everybody would have to do more with less.”
Smalley suggested potentially cutting the proposed additional police officer for 2025, or perhaps funding the position for only half the year, which would delay the hiring of the extra position until July 1. With the addition of three school resource officers this year, one each for the Mount Pleasant, Valhalla and Pocantico school districts that the districts are paying 60 percent of the cost, the police force currently has 50 officers.
Sharing some of the sentiment of potential cuts was Councilwoman Danielle Zaino. She said the public can weigh in on whether they care for reductions when the hearing resumes this Tuesday evening. The board is expected to approve a final 2025 budget during the meeting.
But Supervisor Carl Fulgenzi said he started the budget deliberations last summer with an increase of between 7 and 8 percent. The budget was reviewed line by line in every department, he said.
“I think every department has given up enough,” Fulgenzi said. “Yeah, we can cut out leaf pickup. We may save a few thousand dollars. We can’t cut out garbage (but) maybe once a week, everything once a week. We can save money that way, if that is what people really want.”
The supervisor explained that by adding an officer, which would cost the town between $100,000 and $120,000, it could reduce overtime. In 2023, the town spent about $1.25 million on police overtime, although McGinty said this year’s number is on pace to be about $400,000 less. Removing the additional officer from next year’s budget would appear to lower the levy increase to at least 2 percent, she said.
Councilman Tom Sialiano said he would agree to additional cuts if the budget was still above the tax cap. However, the town should not jeopardize its top-notch services to the public, he said.
“I understand what you’re saying, but you have to understand that we have a reputation for exceptional services, and the residents like that,” Sialiano said. “They work hard and it’s been tough the last couple of years with inflation.”
By the close of the board’s Dec. 3 work session, it appeared that members were leaning toward removing the additional police officer but no firm decision was made.
Fulgenzi said he doesn’t believe that any more cuts can be made without negatively hurting services.
“But I think we need to make that clear,” Zaino said.
Councilman Mark Saracino asked his colleagues whether they would leave in the 3 percent increases for Town Board members.
“The 3 percent is a tiny dollar amount, but I don’t think anyone on the boards does it for the money,” Saracino said.
Smalley said she would cut out the roughly $600 increase for each of the four Town Board members, but maintain the salary increase for the supervisor.
The resumption of the public hearing and final decisions on the 2025 budget are scheduled to be part of the regular Town Board meeting on Tuesday evening at Town Hall. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
