Sapienza: Determined to get to the truth

Updated on 8/21/24 to correct cost information originally presented.

MANCHESTER, NH. August 13,2024–Following Ward 8 Alderman Ed Sapienza‘s proposal to eliminate taxpayer provided health and dental insurance benefits for the city’s aldermen, offsetting it with a $4,500 increase in their annual stipend to $8,500, Girard at Large filed an inquiry with Lisa Drabik, the city’s human resources director, asking which aldermen took what benefits.  This information is considered public information under RSA 91-a, New Hampshire’s Right to Know Law.

Aldermen taking health insurance are:

  • Tony Sapienza (Ward 5)
  • Crissy Kantor (Ward 6)
  • Bill Barry (Ward 10)
  • Norm Vincent (Ward 11)
  • Joe Kelly Levasseur (at-Large)
  • Dan O’Neil (at-Large)

Aldermen taking the dental insurance are:

  • Chris Morgan (Ward 1)
  • Sapienza (Ward 5)
  • Kantor
  • Barry
  • Vincent
  • Kelly Thomas (Ward 12)
  • Levasseur
  • O’Neil

Every aldermen, except for Ward 7’s Ross Terrio, is covered by the city’s group life insurance for employees.

The total premium cost to the taxpayers, including HSA contributions ranging from $1,500 to $3,000, is over $150,000.  Because the city is self-insured, meaning it actually pays any claims made against its health insurance program, and because claim information is protected by privacy laws, it is not possible to know that actual cost of these taxpayer provided benefits.  Participating aldermen do pay the employee share of the premium cost, which is 20%.

While Ed Sapienza’s proposal was received and filed by the Committee on Human Resources, which he chairs, he said he would be bringing it directly to the next meeting of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen for a roll call vote.

In 2022, the BMA approved a request from the Board of School Committee to eliminate health and dental benefits for board members and increase its members’ annual stipend to $4,000.  Ed. Sapienza modeled his proposal after the one the aldermen approved for the school board.  In 2017, the school board approved a proposal from the Ward 5 committee member Lisa Freeman to increase the amount of premium paid for by school board members, until participants were paying 100% of the premium cost.

Click here for complete details on which health and or dental plan each alderman is taking and its premium cost to the taxpayers of the city of Manchester.

Sources tell Girard at Large that Barry is furiously lobbying his colleagues to vote against the proposal, which, if passed, won’t take effect until the beginning of the 2026-2028 term, meaning that aldermen who currently take the benefits will be able to continue until the end of the current term of office.  Sources also tell Girard at Large that every Republican member of the board is expected to vote to eliminate the benefits beginning in the next term, except Ward 7’s Terrio, who remains undecided.  As of this writing, Girard at Large has no confirmed information as to how the board’s Democrats, outside of Barry, intend to vote, though it is rumored that Ward 9’s Jim Burkush and Ward 2’s Dan Goonan, both retired city fire chiefs, support maintaining benefits for the aldermen.

This post will be updated as additional information comes available.