4. Wayfinder: If there is still time this needs to be stopped… $1,000,000 savings to the City of Worcester. Lived in Worcester my whole life and I do not understand some of these names.
3. Updated FY16 budget numbers for Local Receipts: In addition to our Property Tax Levy, we have income from other resources. It is a long list; for example, Hotel and meals tax, trash bag collection fees etc. In the 2016 budget we budgeted for 40,750,100 while the prior year (2015) was at 43,001.135– a reduction of $3,000,000. We are curious as to how the budgeted number this year of $40 million compares to the actual collections, especially in light of the big reduction from the prior year.
Why does that make a difference? Approximately the same numbers (39,662,495) was budgeted for this next budget (2017). If the collections for this year are more like $42 million versus $40 then we could budget the $42 million for next year (2017) and take that off the levy.
Bottom line is that we need someone to ask the question as to what the actual local receipts will be for 2016?
2 Green Hill Country Club... The City of Worcester has gotten out of the hospital, nursing home and airport business. Now they should get out of the golf course business. Put the airport out to bid to be managed by golf management company and we would save the approximate $200,000 that we lose each year not to mention the savings down the road in pension and OPEB. If it is not too late, pull the plug on the $800,00 driving range that has no chance of making Green Hill profitable. Between the operational losses and the driving range, we would save approximately $1,000,000.
# 1: Elected officials not eligible for employee benefits. As everyone knows the cost of health insurance is very expensive. A family plan participant in the City of Worcester group health plan conservatively costs the City of Worcester $12,000 per year. That is on the low side probably closing to $15,000 depending on the plan.
City Councilor your compensation is approximately $30,000 per year. If a City Councilor participates in the City of Worcester health insurance plan, your actually cost to the tax-payer is $42,000 to $45,000 not $30,000. Either the Councilor pay should be cut by the cost of their health plan to the City of Worcester, if you participate in the plan to keep or we should make City Councilors (or any elected official) not eligible for the Group Employer Sponsored Health Insurance Plan.
How exactly does a City Councilor who is a member in the City of Worcester health insuranc plan vote on any issues relating to these benefits without it being a conflict? Not letting elected officials participate in the health plan will save approximately $50,000 last time we checked.
