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Campbell officials keep health benefits
Council is considering adding a fee onto water bills for street lights.
CAMPBELL — City council defeated a piece of legislation that would have eliminated health benefits for elected officials.
The legislation, sponsored by Mayor George Krinos, was defeated 4-1 at Wednesday’s council meeting. Councilman Bryan Tedesco voted in favor of it.
It was the second time Krinos had tried to pass the legislation. He has said the city could afford to give its employees 40-cents-per-hour raises out of the money saved, which would be about $69,000.
Council defeated the legislation in December. Some members said it contained more than one subject, which was against the city’s charter.
Krinos rewrote the legislation.
Councilwoman Juanita Rich said before the vote that she believed the legislation was a “personal vendetta against council, and I will vote accordingly.”
The legislation could not have taken effect while the officials were in the middle of their current terms, according to state law.
Council President William Vansuch said he voted against it because “two years from now [until it could take effect] is a long time.”
He also said Struthers has legislation he likes because it gives officials a choice. That legislation, passed in December, allows officials to remain on the city’s plan if the premium payment on any other plan available to them is more than 35 percent higher than the city’s premium.
In other business, council voted unanimously to pass to second reading an amendment to a gun-sales ban in the city. The amendment would allow private sales, but bans retail shops from selling guns.
Council also said it plans to have a public meeting about adding a fee onto water bills for street lights.
The fee would be between $2.25 and $3, Vansuch said, and the money can be used only for street lights.
Tedesco said the city is having trouble affording street lights, which account for $120,000 out of the city’s general fund. The meeting will likely be Feb. 22, they said.