CARIGNAN...HERE WE GO AGAIN

We said we'd be getting back to the Carignan issue and here we are.

For those that know nothing about this, go here and here for background.

Now, before we dig into this more, let us go back and look at what Mayor Harry said concerning the city's insurance. These are his words, not ours.

By repackaging insurance coverage’s, the new broker, Nicoll & MacChesney, Inc., has saved the City a minimum of $64,712 over the 2004 year, and expects to save additional money as it delves deeper into the policies.

“We just saved a lot of money on our insurance coverage,” Tutunjian said. “All joking aside, this represents a savings of 15 percent for the upcoming year. That is much better situation than the beginning of 2004 when we saw a $75,000 increase at the last minute from our prior broker.”

“When I first decided to run for mayor, I promised that I would do what is best for the residents of Troy,” Tutunjian said. “We got to a point where it was clear that insurance brokers needed to be changed, particularly when the available savings became so clear. Instead of an increase, we now see a decrease, with an additional pledge for more savings once the policy is looked at more closely.”

Nicoll & MacChesney, Inc., located at 14 Second Street in historic downtown Troy, has set the premium for the City’s insurance at $380,000. In 2004, that number was well above $444,000.

“It is important to do business with people inside of Troy,” Tutunjian said. “In this case we got the best of both worlds. The insurance agent is in the City, and saved us a significant amount of money at the same time.”

First, let us be clear: we do not care who the city retains as an insurance broker. The mayor can pick and choose who he wants. What we do care about is whether or not our public officials a) lie and b) know what the hell they're talking about.

WHAT IS HARRY SAYING

By repackaging insurance coverage’s, the new broker, Nicoll & MacChesney, Inc., has saved the City a minimum of $64,712 over the 2004 year.

OK, Nicoll & MacChesney 'repackaged' insurance coverage. What coverage? Who obtained that coverage?

That is much better situation than the beginning of 2004 when we saw a $75,000 increase at the last minute from our prior broker.

But Harry, hadn't that coverage been locked-in for the three previous years? We all know that municipal insurance coverage skyrocketed after 9/11. Hadn't Carignan obtained two years of pre-9/11 rates by having locked-in the previous rates? How much did that save?

“We got to a point where it was clear that insurance brokers needed to be changed, particularly when the available savings became so clear. ”

Harry, if your dealing with the same policy, that contains a variety of options, doesn't the city have the ability to choose any of those options no matter who the broker happens to be? How does changing brokers affect your options under the policy?

Nicoll & MacChesney, Inc., located at 14 Second Street in historic downtown Troy, has set the premium for the City’s insurance at $380,000. In 2004, that number was well above $444,000.

Harry, the policy sets the premium, does it not? What policy did Nicoll & MacChesney obtain for the city? If N & M obtained the policy for the city, why did you need to change brokers?

So, we'll be taking a look at these issues and more this week. And you won't have to take our word for it. You'll be able to read what Harry and others said, while under oath.