Town Contribution to Resident Trooper Program Going Up

State officials have notified municipal officials that the "fringe benefit" contribution from the town has changed from 72.95 percent to 83.85 percent for resident state troopers. 

That was the word from Town Manager Steven Werbner in his latest report to the Town Council. 

The new rates took effect on July 1, Werbner said. In addition, an  arbitration award called for a 2 percent wage increase and an additional  step for one of the "lower level" troopers and that took effect Oct. 1, Werbner said.

For the 2013-14 fiscal year, the budget for trooper’s salaries, including the fringe benefits package was $556,880. 

The numbers were based on a contribution by the town of 75.95 percent, Werbner said. The rate includes an estimated 3 percent increase from the 2012-13 amount of 72.95 percent, he said. The town also budgeted for a potential 2 percent wage increase, Werbner said.  

"The Finance Director and I completed a new projection with regards to personnel costs at the new rates. Although we do get to absorb some savings for the 2 percent wage increase for the period of July 1 through Sept. 3, the additional fringe benefit cost and impact of the step increase still creates a projected shortfall of approximately $23,000," Werbner reported.   

He added, "There are no additional funds available within my budget to cover these additional charges. The Finance Director and I will be working together to see how we will be able to cover these costs with other department savings."

Werbner said he might have to request from the Town Council a supplemental appropriation, "if funds cannot be identified in other department savings towards the end of the fiscal year." 

He said when budgeting for the 2014-15 fiscal year, the town will have to assume that the "fringe rate" will increase, "although we don’t know by how much."

He said the logical thing to do is to take the average of how much the Fringe Rate has increased over the past three years and then apply that  figure when coming up with a projected cost for troopers.