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OCTOBER 24, 2014
SOCCER
BAYSIDE CHAMPS Stephen Decatur girls’ soccer team wins conference title in overtime, 5-4 – Page 49
SERVING NORTHERN WORCESTER COUNTY
Self-insurance working for city
For first time in history of Worcester County, Republican voters outnumber Democrats By Brian Gilliland Staff Writer (Oct. 24, 2014) While the Eastern Shore votes as reliably red as the western shore does blue, as a pure numbers game registered Democrats have always outstripped their perennial foe in Worcester County. Until this year. Granted the number isn’t huge, but according to a report by the Worcester County Board of Elections, Rs outnumber Ds by 24 people, 14,528 to 14,504. When asked if this is the first time this has occurred, Election Director Patricia Jackson quickly answered “Yes.” Although Republicans were a relative rarity throughout the Eastern Shore in the 1950s and 1960s, the numbers have been closer in recent years, with Republicans moving toward numerical su-
premacy at a more rapid clip in the last decade. In addition, turnount among registered voters is reasonably high. In 2012, slightly more than 36,000 ballots were cast in Worcester County, or just a shade over 76 percent and somewhere in the middle of Maryland counties as a whole. Somerset County had 76.5 percent participation
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Move last year saves govt. half-million-plus over flat rate program
and Wicomico had 75.7 percent. The percentage of voters was even greater in 2008, with about 80.5 percent percent participation in Worcester, 80.1 percent in Wicomico and 77.5 percent in Somerset. Of those, almost 12,600 were Democrats, and nearly 11,200 were Republicans in Worcester County See PARTISAN page 6
Zack Hoopes Staff Writer (Oct. 24, 2014) The self-insurance model adopted by the city last year appears to have worked out fine, according to an update given to the City Council this week in anticipation of the city’s 2015 employee health insurance renewal. “With the move to selffunding, you are building a margin over time should we not have a good year,” said Roseanne Calzetta of Bolton Partners, the city’s insurance consultant. “Based on the experience so far, it looks like you’ll be in a surplus position at year-end.” Under a self-insured system, the city pays the costs of its employees’ medical claims directly out of funds set aside at the beginning of the year. If the year’s claims turn out to be less than was set aside – as looks to be the case for 2014 – then the leftover funds can be accrued in an account for later years. If the claims turn out to be in excess, the city’s annual
costs will be capped at 105 percent of the original projection, with CareFirst – the city’s insurer – rolling over any additional liability to subsequent years’ payments. This is as opposed to a fully insured plan, where the city pays CareFirst a flat rate regardless of the actual claims cost, thus having CareFirst assume all the risk and reward. Moving to self-insurance saved the city $522,460, Calzetta said. This is due partly to a reduction in administrative fees from CareFirst, the city’s insurer, as well as the city being able to avoid the 1.5 percent tax placed on fully insured plans by Obamacare. Calzetta recommended, and the council approved, keeping the city’s surplus in a separate fund until the fund is equal to 10 percent of the city’ estimated annual claims payout. This would give the city a two-year buffer of the maximum 105 percent liability under CareFirst’s self-insured model. Health costs for 2015 are projected to increase four percent nationwide, with Calzetta recommending the city See CITY page 6
Bolt bolts from Ocean City Council election Contender in contest quickly backs out with voting 11 days away
Zack Hoopes Staff Writer (Oct 24, 2014) Greenhouse Deli owner Nancy Bolt,
Are You Prepared for Old Man Winter?
who was considered by many to be a serious contender in the Nov.4 Ocean City municipal election, abruptly bowcd out of the contest Thursday morning. Bolt withdrew her political advertising and alerted this newspaper that she was no
longer in the race. Bolt was present at Wednesday’s political event for the lobbying group Citizens for Ocean City, although she was not endorsed by the organization. “I was up at 2 a.m. last night thinking about it,” Bolt
said. “It was a tough decision.” Bolt would not elaborate on the reasons for her surprising move, coming as it did with less than two weeks before the election. What is known, however, is that Bolt wants to expand
her business, located at 15th Street and Philadelphia Avenue, a goal which could be affected if she were to commit to a political career. “I’m not afraid of losing,” Bolt said. “I’m more concerned about what I would do if I won a seat.”
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