FREEHOLD — Although state law permits municipal officials who were elected to office prior to May 21, 2010, to receive paid health insurance from their town, Freehold Borough’s representatives who are eligible to receive that benefit are declining to accept it.
In December, municipal officials passed a resolution which states their reasons for not accepting the available health benefits.
Borough Council President George Schnurr pushed for the passage of the resolution which states that, “Freehold Borough, as with all municipalities, has been experiencing significant economic hardship resulting in difficult decisions that have contributed to a reduction of its labor pool by over 15 percent over the past few years, and with further reductions looming.”
The resolution goes on to state that the governing body is “acutely aware that many taxpayers have also experienced layoffs, cutbacks and other financial reversals while still struggling to satisfy their property tax obligations.”
The document states that officials “refuse to receive any health insurance benefits, as well as any stipend that can be used for health insurance benefits.”
Schnurr said, “The state Legislature, when they passed their version of the law, exempted themselves. The state law only applied to every member of the Legislature who was elected after May 21, 2010. Real reform is only reform when it applies to you, too.”
Schnurr said that to the best of his knowledge, no one on the council who has the right to accept paid health insurance offered through the municipality is taking advantage of that benefit.
“That is the way it should be for a parttime position,” he said. “By making this a resolution, you would need a resolution, which would have to be voted on in a meeting, to undo what the council has done.”
Schnurr said in some towns, officials who do not accept paid health insurance do accept a payment in lieu of taking the insurance. He said that is not the case in Freehold Borough and no stipends are paid.
Borough Administrator Joseph Bellina confirmed Schnurr’s statement that no member of the council who is eligible to receive the paid health insurance is taking advantage of that benefit.
In addition to Schnurr, the members of the council are Kevin Kane, Michael DiBenedetto, Sharon Shutzer, Jaye Sims and John Newman.