Endangered Perquisites
Want good health insurance for life?Run for supervisor in Callicoon. Or for the Village Board in Chester. And stick around for a few terms.
Supervisors and mayors in almost 40 percent of local municipalities, and council members in a quarter of them, can qualify for lifetime health benefits on the taxpayers' dime, according to a survey by the Times Herald-Record.
Even as health insurance costs soar and private businesses slash retirement benefits, local taxpayers are footing the bill for their elected officials, many of whom are part-time, and will be for decades to come.
Costs vary widely, depending on how many officials use the benefit and if they qualify for Medicare. But it's a generous perk, one that supporters say helps encourage qualified candidates to run for local office.
And it can be quite expensive, saddling local governments with some serious long-term liabilities.
When John Karl did the math in the Village of Monroe, he was stunned. Health insurance over the next 15 years for the three board members who received it would cost his village somewhere around $350,000. Each.