OBSERVER Staff Report

PORTLAND - Portland Supervisor Daniel Schranz said Saturday the town board is doing everything it can to reduce taxes for residents.

His comments came following an article in Saturday's OBSERVER, in which the CSEA said they were at an impasse with town officials, claiming "negotiators have done everything possible to thwart good faith bargaining and unnecessarily stall negotiations."

According to Schranz, the town board sent a letter to the union to start negotiations in April, but the union refused, saying it could not start that early. "We wanted to start early because we knew there would be problems over insurance," he said.

According to Schranz, insurance costs this year went up nearly $11,000.

"With that premium going up, in our personnel line we had to reduce staff in our Highway Department to make up the difference," he said. "That's why there was a layoff in our Highway Department in the summer." That person has since returned to work, he added.

According to the CSEA, the union agreed to a change in health insurance that would have saved the town $22,000 for the upcoming year. The deadline was Friday.

Schranz disagreed with that statement, saying the town board and the CSEA are using different figures. On Oct. 21, the town board made a proposal, which included having employees contribute to their health insurance. On Oct. 24, the CSEA gave a counter-proposal without any employee contribution.

Schranz noted that many, if not most, municipal employees contribute to their health insurance. He gave examples of the town of Sheridan which in their recent contract calls for 7 percent contribution this year, 10 percent the second year and 13 percent the third year of the contract. In the village of Fredonia, employees pay per month $20 for a single plan, $30 for married plan and $40 for a family plan. That cost will be going up $10 next year to $30 for single, $40 for married and $50 for family. The following year the cost will go up across the board another $10 as well.

Other examples he gave included the village of Brocton, whose employees contribute 6 to 10 percent of their insurance; Brocton school employees who contribute 10 percent for single plans and 15 percent for family; Brocton bus employees who contribute 25 percent of their insurance costs; and employees with the state of New York who contribute 10 percent for single plans and 25 percent for family plans.

"That's what the town was looking at - very few communities paid all the (insurance) costs," said Schranz.

According to the CSEA, negotiations will now go to a third party mediator who will attempt to reach an agreement between the two parties.

Schranz said the town board wants to work with the union, but ultimately, they're trying to keep costs as low as possible. "The town board is looking out for taxpayers in trying to negotiate a fair deal. We feel employees need to contribute to retirement costs, insurance costs. The whole cost of government keeps going up," he said.

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