Jim Planck is reporting in The Daily Mail the Catskill Town Board has taken action to reduce medical insurance costs in the coming year. The effort was necessary to keep the recently adopted 2016 town budget in line with its targeted yearly expenses. In the week following formal adoption of the spending plan, the board met and changed the terms of medical coverage for full-time employees and elected officials. Under the new guidelines, town employees will now contribute, on an annual sliding scale over four years, up to 20 percent of premium costs. Future elected part-time officials will no longer be eligible for coverage provided by the town. Similar changes were made for coverage of town retirees. The board also selected Blue Shield of Northeastern New York as its news insurance provider, effective January 1. And Medicare-eligible retirees and their spouses will now be covered by Transamerica Affinity Services. Town officials said the changes will result in a savings of approximately $100,000. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.