FALLSBURG The meeting turned tense as Town of Fallsburg board members clashed over a new health insurance buyout policy that would raise payments to department heads, management, and elected officials who opt out of the town’s health plan.

Under the proposal, those who decline coverage — which costs roughly $42,000 a year for family insurance — would receive a $15,000 annual buyout, up from about $2,800.

Supervisor Michael Bensimon explained that the measure, introduced by Councilman Nathan Steingart, could save taxpayer money if more employees opted out of costly town coverage.

Councilman Sean Wall-Carty pushed back, calling the proposal “insane” and “tone-deaf” given the taxpayer frustration over rising costs.

“We just sat here listening to people worried about paying more, and now we’re talking about giving ourselves fifteen thousand dollars? What the h*** are we doing?” Wall-Carty said.

Steingart defended the policy as a financial move, not a perk.

“If someone doesn’t take a forty-two-thousand-dollar policy and takes fifteen thousand instead, that’s savings for the town,” he said. “We worked the numbers — it could save close to a hundred thousand dollars.”

The exchange grew heated when Wall-Carty accused the board of raising pay while offering little to residents.

“This board hasn’t done s***,” he said. “We’ve got people begging for water, and we’re talking about bonuses.”

Steingart shot back, claiming Wall-Carty “missed 70 percent of the meetings” and accusing him of being “embarrassing” to the town. 

Wall-Carty defended himself, saying his absence was due to work conflicts and scheduling changes made by the board.

“When you guys changed the meeting nights, I couldn’t make it,” Wall-Carty said. “I can’t leave my job, and I told you that.”

Bensimon intervened to calm the exchange. “Let’s maintain order,” the supervisor said firmly. “We have a meeting to run here.”

The buyout policy ultimately passed in a 3–1 vote, with Wall-Carty voting no.

Preliminary Budget 

Following the vote, the board shifted to the 2026 preliminary budget, which is currently projecting a 2.45 percent property tax increase. Bensimon noted that although a local law to override New York’s 2 percent tax cap was passed, it’s considered a precautionary move, meant to shield the town against penalties if year-end adjustments push spending slightly over the limit.

He added that negotiations are ongoing with the town comptroller, and that final figures are yet to be settled as the board balances revenue forecasts against rising costs.