Published: October 21, 2008 12:50 am      

ROYALTON: Residents object to 100% payment of town workers' health care

ROYALTON — The town board approved a new four-year contract with town employees and a drainage law Monday night, but not without hearing plenty from the public.

The contract calls for a wage increase of 2 percent the first two years, 3 percent in 2011, and 2 percent in 2012. The town also will pay 100 percent of health insurance.

That caused a bit of a ruckus. Residents told of how their health insurance rates have been raised drastically over the last few years and of not getting wage increases.

“We can’t keep paying and paying,” Howard Johnt said. “You have to do with less like everyone in private industry.”

Scott Wymyczak noted that Royalton is the second-highest taxed town in the county, and the county may be the highest taxed in the nation.

Supervisor Richard Lang and council members Jennifer Bieber and James Budde voted in favor of the four-year contract. Brad Criswell and Brad Rehwaldt voted against.

The seven highway and four water employees were represented by the Teamsters Union. The highway superintendent, water supervisor, town clerk and assessor are also full-time employees who will benefit from the raises.

Bieber defended the contract and praised Budde and Lang for their work with the union, along with Town Attorney Thomas Brandt. Rehwaldt argued that with benefits, the workers got a 6 percent raise and that he was not involved in negotiations.

“We feel we negotiated in good faith,” Budde said. “We invited our colleagues to come in at any time and offer any solutions. These are 11th-hour positionings I find very unfortunate.”

Wymyczak noted that the businessmen on the board voted against the contract. “Those are the guys who have to pay the benefits,” he said. “The board needs more business people up there. It would change.”

Johnt said private business has realized for years and has cut back on benefits. “You’ve got to figure out how to do more with less,” he said. “You can’t keep on taking and spending money like the well will never go dry. The goose that lays the golden egg is on life support. The taxpayers can not continue to keep paying, and paying and paying.

When he bought his farm 15 years ago, school and county taxes were $2,000, Johnt said. Now they are near $7,000. “I’ve seen my wages continually go downward, and my cost of health insurance and other insurance go upward,” said Johnt, who works in Cheektowaga. “My disposable income goes down every day because everyone is picking my pocket. The point is, we can’t afford it.”

Brandt said that the Teamsters’ insurance rates are lower than any other health provider and lower by a significant amount.

In other action:

n The board approved a local law regarding draining regulations in an attempt to prevent landowners from plugging ditches and flooding their neighbor’s property. The law passed 5-0.

“Once it was explained, it was understood,” Budde said.

n There was considerable debate over a new regulation regarding the installation, operation and maintenance of outdoor furnaces. “We’ve had complaints from people who live close together,” Lang said. “With the price of fuel, stoves are popping up.”

The draft of the regulation was four pages long, and the consensus from the residents at the public hearing was to not complicate matters. Let the DEC do it. Leave well enough alone. Less is better, they said.

Contact reporter Bill Wolcott at 439-9222, ext. 6246.