Last modified: Friday, May 16, 2008 1:26 AM EDT Wrentham won't seek tax override BY STEPHEN PETERSON SUN CHRONICLE STAFF WRENTHAM - Wrentham is the only one of the three King Philip towns not planning a Proposition 2 1/2 budget override for the next fiscal year. Norfolk town meeting Tuesday supported a $414,910 override, and Plainville voters at town meeting Monday face a $650,000 override. Both have to be approved at special elections in June. Wrentham is coming in with a balanced budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, but there will be some reductions in education. Several positions could be lost in the elementary schools, and the King Philip school budget is in a far worse situation, with up to 13 current positions facing elimination because of the budget situation in its three member towns. Also, $400,000 in a key reserve fund known as free cash is to be used to wipe out what would be a shortfall in Wrentham's budget. "They're both looking at overrides, we're not," Town Administrator Jack McFeeley said of Plainville and Norfolk during a forum on the budget Thursday night. "I think we are doing something better." About 20 residents turned out to the forum sponsored by the Wrentham Citizens Alliance and held at the library. Resident Steven Marian noted Franklin is looking at a multi-million dollar override. "I think Wrentham has done a very good job up to this point," Marian said. "Yes, we need some revenue from appropriate development and we need to take a good hard look at health insurance." Marian has been advocating for several years reducing the town's share of employee health insurance from 85 percent, which is higher than many other communities. Health insurance is the fastest growing segment of the town's $32 million budget at about $3 million. "The board of selectmen and town recognize that is a very significant problem," McFeeley said. The town has looked into different health insurance programs but found no substantial savings in alternatives. The town has been in negotiations with its four employee unions since February of last year. The contracts expired at the end of last fiscal year, June 30. "We have to look at charging for things we currently don't charge for," McFeeley said, suggesting trash collection. "An override is not palatable for most taxpayers." "Solid waste is eating up money we need to run other things," Selectmen Chairwoman Mary Dunn said. Other revenue-generating ideas discussed included selling or developing town property. Dunn suggested looking at energy savings. "We need to take a look at things we can do to consolidate some things," said finance committee Chairman Jerry McGovern, referring partly to regionalization of the school districts. "I think we are at the point we need innovative ways to do things better."