City to pay for early retirees’ dental, vision coverage

KINGSTON, N.Y. » Eligible city employees who take advantage of an early retirement incentive will have the full cost of their dental and vision insurance paid by the city.

During a virtual meeting Tuesday, the Common Council unanimously adopted a resolution authorizing the city to offer the retirement incentive as a way to save money in the face of expected revenue losses due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

With the council’s vote, members of the Civil Service Employees Association who are at least 55 years old and will have a minimum of 10 years of full-time continuous service with the city as of Dec. 31, 2020, are eligible for early retirement.

The incentive will provide the employees and their families, if they are enrolled in a family plan, with dental and vision insurance at no cost.

Retirees currently do not receive dental and vision insurance from the city.

“This is a recommendation from the mayor and from the city comptroller in view of the serious financial impact we have from the COVID-19 virus,” said Alderman Douglas Koop, D-Ward 2. He said the incentive is a way for the city to reduce its costs but that there is no way to know yet how many employees will take advantage of the offer.

Mayor Steve Noble has said 36 employees are eligible for early retirement.

Under the incentive, eligible employees have to notify the city by Aug. 1 if the plan to take the incentive, and retirements must take place by Dec. 31.

City Comptroller John Tuey has said the cost of dental and vision insurance is about $900 per year per employee.

The CSEA is the city’s largest employee union. It includes employees in public works, parks and recreation, building safety and other departments.