May 1, 2005
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Joseph Gillis Jr.
You can do something!
The May 2 Annual Town Meeting in Bridgewater will have an Article relating to funding for stipends to Elected Town Officials. The concern is that part-time officials, by State law, are entitled to health insurance benefits by virtue of a stipend of $1 or more. Therefore, if the stipends were eliminated, then there would not be a requirement for funding those healthcare costs.
I believe that there is value in retaining the stipends for the part-time elected officials. While the officials may state that it is a small sum, they are still receiving financial compensation for their work on behalf of the Town - and not serving as a ''volunteer".
The following Citizens Petition {click here to download} was written to allow myself and others to begin gathering signatures to request a Town Meeting vote on the issue. We would like to opt-out of the automatic health insurance for part-time elected officials; just like Seekonk, Carver, Richmond and Swansea.
