WHAT'S GOING ON? ... with public employees' salaries?

Borough and township officials are finalizing budgets for 2012. The school district completed that task in June for the 2011-2012 school term. This is a look at how each body is incorporating employee salaries into the budget picture.

Antrim Township

The preliminary budget includes a 3 percent raise for employees. If the Board of Supervisors follows suit from last year, the raise will not be applied equally to each employee, but will be varied in percent based on performance reviews. In 2011 most employees received 2 or 3 percent raises.  For the first time, the supervisors are asking employees to pay for health insurance deductibles, up to $500. At the same time, they plan to raise the medical/wellness reimbursement account by $250 to compensate for the requirement. The township offers $4,000 to any fulltime employee  who does not subscribe to Antrim's insurance plan.

The budget stands at $2.3 million.

It is available for public review at the township office or on the website at www.twp.antrim.pa.us

It will be finalized Dec. 28.

Borough of Greencastle

Council's proposed budget allows 1 percent raises for employees, and also asks for additional concessions on healthcare expenses. Staff members will no longer be able to have a spouse covered by a family plan if the spouse can get insurance through his/her own employer. If the employee also enrolls with the spouse's policy, he/she will get about $3,600 as a reward for saving the borough money. The out-of-pocket medical reimbursement fund remains at $2,000. In 2011 the employees also received a one percent raise.

The current budget is $1.4 million.

It is available for public review in the borough office or at www.greencastlepa.gov

Greencastle-Antrim School District

The teachers agreed to no raise for this school year, straying from the final year terms of a five-year contract. That had allowed a 3.8 percent increase. The administration and all employees have a salary freeze for 2011-2012. The superintendent took no raise for the second year in a row.

The G-A Education Association negotiated its contract for the next two years, ending up with 2 percent raises in each.

The general fund budget for this school year is $32.4 million.