Town Meeting Set on Payment to Former Comp Carrier

Residents will decide at a Sept. 14 town meeting whether to approve a $25,839.62 payment to the town’s former Worker’s Compensation carrier as part of a post-contractual assessment that was charged last year.

The Board of Selectmen at its regular meeting on Wednesday evening voted 3-0 to set the town meeting date to allow residents to vote on whether to pay this year’s installment of a $120,000 assessment levied by the Municipal Interlocal Risk Management Agency, the town’s Worker’s Compensation insurer for fiscal years 2003-04 and 2004-05.

Canton was one of a pool of about 60 Connecticut towns that contracted with MIRMA, which levied a $10 million assessment last year because the insurer’s actual revenue fell short of projections, according to Chief Administrative Officer Bob Skinner. That amount has since been reduced to $8.8 million.

A state law passed last year enabled towns to pay their portions of the assessment over four years instead of all at once.

Canton paid its initial installment of about $44,000 in fiscal year 2010-11, according to Skinner, who added that the town meeting was set up after members of the public inquired about assessment.

Skinner said that the town meeting enables town officials to explain the details of the assessment, as well as provide residents a voice as to whether to pay it.

The critical question is what happens if residents vote the measure down, Skinner said.

“I’ve consulted the town attorney about that and they can vote ‘no,’” said Skinner, who added that MIRMA President Patrick Hemingway would be present at the town meeting.

“The question is where do we go from there?” First Selectman Richard Barlow said.

The meeting is scheduled to take place at the Canton Community Center at 7 p.m.