Personnel Services include salaries, overtime, unemployment compensation and workers’ compensation, and collective bargaining reserves for estimated wage increases for union employees whose agreements are not settled. The majority of departments had employees who reached agreement on collective bargaining contracts, so department growth reflects those wage and cost of living increases, while outstanding contracts are reserved centrally.
Negotiations for successor agreements are ongoing.
The
Health Benefits category
includes the cost of health, dental and life insurance for City, BPS and PHC employees and retirees, employer Medicare payroll taxes, and the appropriation for Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB).
The Contractual Services category includes expenditures for communications, repairs and service to buildings, equipment and vehicles, transportation, trash collection and disposal, as well as outside legal, advertising, and printing expenses.
Included in the “Other” category are supplies and materials such as gasoline, uniform allowances, office supplies, workers’ compensation medical expenses, medical indemnification in the Fire and Police Departments, legal liabilities, and aid to veterans. Also included in the “Other” category are appropriations for equipment, vehicles, a risk retention reserve, the Housing Trust Fund, tax title, and funding for the City’s outside audit.