11/15/2025
MY STATEMENT ON SURVIVOR HEALTH BENEFITS IN BELLEVILLE
(Official Statement from Mayor Michael Melham)
If you're not sure what this post is pertaining to, then it's not for you.
At the most recent regular Council meeting, held on Tuesday, October 28th, the Mayor and Council were briefed in executive session about a plan—already in motion—to terminate health benefits for surviving spouses and families of deceased Township employees. Let me be perfectly clear:
This was NEVER brought to the Mayor / Council for a vote.
This was NOT initiated by the Mayor / Council.
I immediately voiced my concerns the moment I heard it.
From the outset, I warned that the Township was handling this in a haphazard, insensitive, and procedurally flawed way. I made it clear that issuing such a letter—without providing the governing body a chance to question the Township's Labor Counsel directly—would create chaos, confusion, and harm for both retirees and active employees. In the end, it turns out I was correct.
Following my warnings, the Council was at least offered the opportunity to see a draft of the letter prior to it going out. When I reviewed it, I was even more unhappy with its wording and tone.
The decision to abruptly notify surviving spouses and families—many of whom depend on this coverage—was deeply troubling. It doesn’t just affect about 20 current survivor families. It affects every active employee who rightfully expects these benefits to be there when they retire.
So let me be absolutely clear:
I strongly oppose the way this was handled.
I oppose removing any past-practice benefit arbitrarily, especially outside of negotiations with the respective labor unions.
I oppose leaving families—and employees—fearful about their future.
This Mayor will not allow retirees or their families to be blindsided by decisions we didn’t make, didn’t vote on, and were not properly consulted about.
I am insisting on:
A complete halt to any cancellation of survivor benefits
A full legal explanation with proper citations
A transparent review process involving all labor unions and a Mayor / Council sub committee.
And above all, protecting the families who gave their loved ones to public service
Belleville deserves leadership that stands up for what’s right.
I fully understand the ridiculous rising costs of health insurance—over the past three years alone, our Township’s health insurance costs have risen by $6 million.
But even with those challenges, any changes to benefits must be handled at the negotiation table, and absolutely should NOT be done outside of, or during, active negotiations.
If the Township does NOT reverse course—clearly and in writing—I have already requested that our Labor Counsel attend the next regularly scheduled Council meeting, in public (not executive session), so that I can question him directly about the law, past practice, the rollout of this decision, and any alternatives available to us.
That said, I fully understand and acknowledge our form of government:
The Township Manager has the final say on day-to-day operations—not the Mayor, and not the Council.
This action was not something that ever came before us for a vote.
And finally:
There is a time and a place to negotiate benefits.
That time is when the Township Administration and a Council subcommittee sit across the table from our labor unions. We fight for the best deal for the taxpayers. The unions, rightfully, fight for the best deal for their members. And in the end, if both sides walk away feeling a little bit of pain, it usually means we reached a fair deal.
What we are experiencing right now is NOT how benefits should ever be removed.
– Mayor Michael Melham Belleville PBA Local 28 Belleville NJ Police Department Belleville FMBA Local's 29 & 229
