WHEREAS, the undersigned taxpayers of Chapel Hill object to the continued health insurance benefits for which the Chapel Hill Town Council voted on June 9, 2008 to pay 75% of the cost for the lifetime of all two-term Town Council members, and
WHEREAS, full-time Chapel Hill employees must work more than 8 years, the two terms of a Town Council member, to earn this same continued healthcare benefit;
WHEREAS, the Town of Chapel Hill is simultaneously raising the tax rate and incurring additional expense by voting for Public Funding of Municipal Elections;
WHEREAS, the first offer of Town health insurance benefits raised the question of whether Council members must be fulltime employees to be eligible, and this question was not answered;
WHEREAS, the Town has delayed some projects, such as the much-needed Chapel Hill Library expansion, in the interest of maintaining a AAA municipal bond rating;
WHEREAS, most Town Council members are and have been employed elsewhere in addition to their voluntary service as elected officials on Town Council;
WHEREAS, this vote was not promulgated to the public, nor were residents wishing to speak allowed to address the Town Council until after the Council had voted;
WHEREAS, the COBRA laws provide for an additional 18 months of healthcare coverage after someone leaves a place of employment;
WHEREAS, one Town Council member asked what the projected cost of this added Town benefit would be and received the answer that it could not be determined, yet that Council member, along with all but one who opposed this hastily-endorsed benefit, voted for the benefit;
NOW, THEREFORE, the undersigned taxpayer residents of Chapel Hill petition the Mayor and Town Council to reopen the matter of lifetime subsidized health insurance for two-term Council members for public hearings and another vote after rescinding the June 9, 2008 Town Council vote.
