Andover Selectmen protect Town Manager instead of taxpayers

Health insurance issue discussed at last meeting

As reported earlier, the committee of the town's unions (PEC) rejected the final opportunity to save Andover taxpayers almost $700,000 per year, by simply changing from MIIA/Blue Cross to Tufts Health Plan.

Board of Selectmen disappointed but thankful to unions?

At the recent Board of Selectmen meeting, new Chairman Dan Kowalski read a statement from the Board in which the Selectmen expressed disappointment with the PEC for their decision to stick with the more-expensive MIIA/Blue Cross plan. 

However, the statement closes by thanking the PEC "for working cooperatively with the Town over the course of the past three years...to minimize health insurance costs."

Instead of following the leadership of our newest Selectman, Mary O'Donoghue — who at least tried to stand up for taxpayers — Chairman Kowalski and the other selectmen glossed over the issues, did not hold the Town Manager accountable, and chalked it all up to lessons learned (at a taxpayer expense of hundreds of thousands of dollars).

Watch the Town Manager dodge my questions!

Before the Board closed the door on this mismanaged health insurance process, I wanted the Town Manager to answer to taxpayers, who will foot the bill for the higher-cost plan. For 12 minutes, I tried to get answers. But with the help of — Selectmen Kowalski, Major, and Salafia — the Town Manager dodged or flat out refused to answer many of my questions:

1. Why did it take 2 months — from when we received the Tufts proposal, mid/late January — to when the PEC met with Tufts, March 25?
2. Why did he give the unions 5 more weeks to run out the clock and deny the Tufts deal, just days before Town Meeting, and without informing the Board of Selectman?
3. Why did he sign off on the MIIA/Blue Cross renewal BEFORE Town Meeting approved the budget? (As you listen to his response, see if you can figure out how the Town Manager views Town Meeting votes on budget line items.)
4. Did he — as a MIIA Board Member — personally request that the renewal-notice deadline be extended until AFTER Town Meeting? (I thought this would be a 'yes' or 'no' answer.)
5. How much taxpayer money did he spend on the erroneous legal opinion that tainted the health insurance amendment vote? (Chairman Kowalski and the Town Manager laugh off this question.)
6. Would he inject the legal opinion prior to the Town Meeting vote again if given the chance? (Selectmen Kowalski and Salafia allowed the Town Manager to dodge this one.)
7. What was the protection afforded by the so-called year two rate guarantee provided by MIIA/Blue Cross, but not by Tufts? (You know, the protection cited as a reason to go with the higher-cost MIIA plan.)

See for yourself. Click here to watch the video of my questions (from the 47:27 to 61:06 minute marker). You can also:

• Read the online transcript.
• Download the PDF of the transcript. 

Tell us what you think in the comments below.

Bob Landry
TownOfAndover.com