Dartmouth Select Board Approves $2 Million Health Insurance Switch for Town Workers

DARTMOUTH -- March 30, 2026, Dartmouth Select Board approves $2 million health insurance overhaul and closes June Town Meeting warrant. The board unanimously authorized Town Administrator Cody Haddad to sign memorandums of understanding with all eleven collective bargaining groups to shift health coverage from MIIA to Southeastern Mass Health Group, keeping Blue Cross Blue Shield as the underlying insurer and projecting combined savings of roughly $2 million, mostly passed to employees, with employer contributions on high-deductible plans rising to 75 percent and retiree coverage increasing from 52 percent to 57 percent. The board also unanimously adopted a Classification and Compensation Study by consultant HRS finding the town's starting pay 12.8 percent below comparable communities, renewed Finance Director Gary Carreiro's three-year contract, authorized a Statement of Interest submission to the Massachusetts School Building Authority for the Dartmouth Middle School, and appointed all 16 applicants to the new Water Quality Advisory Committee while amending the committee's charge to accommodate them. The meeting marked the final appearance of Vice Chair Stanley Mickelson, who received a citation and plaque for twelve years of service.