Camden City Council Members Question the Appointment of Norcross Connected Insurance Company
Thursday, December 30, 2021
William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNews
CAMDEN CITY, NJ--(December 29, 2021)(CNBNews)--The New Jersey State Insurance Controller found in a recent audit that school employees working for the Pennsauken Public School District paid $1.6 million more in health insurance premiums in the fiscal years of 2014 and 2015. The district's insurance broker, Conner Strong & Buckelew, is connected to the South Jersey Political Boss, George Norcross.
THE NORCROSS BROTHERS--(Left to Right)Political Boss GEORGE E. NORCROSS, III who serves as Executive Chairman of Conner Strong & Buckelew, one of the nation's 30 largest insurance, risk management and employee benefits brokerage and consulting firms. U.S. Democrat Rep. Donald Norcross (NJ-1st District), and Philip A. Norcross Managing Shareholder and Chief Executive Officer of Parker and McCay Law Firm.
In the audit's finding section it clearly states: "The District could have cut costs of at least $1.6 million in FYs 2014 and 2015 by joining the School Employees Health Benefits program. Instead, Conner Strong & Buckelew chose to focus on their commissions and place the Pennsauken School District in a more costly plan.
The audit also pointed out that Conner Strong & Buckelew was improperly paying employees $95,000 in health benefit opt-out waivers, stipends, and unused accrued leave.
According to Politico’s Matt Friedman, three of the Camden City seven-member council body want the state to give an opinion on the appointment of Connor Strong & Buckelew as the city’s risk manager.
“You don’t have to be Elon Musk to realize what’s taken place here,” said Camden City Councilwoman Felisha Reyes-Morton. “Conner Strong treats public entities like banks and they’re gonna do everything in their power to shake every dollar loose, no matter the cost to taxpayers. We’re not going to let that happen in Camden anymore.”
The Gloucester City Board of Education at its January 7, 2021 Re-organization meeting appointed George Norcross's insurance company Conner Strong as its Insurance Broker of Record - General. The Board's solicitor is Philip Norcross's Parker and McCay Law Firm.
The City of Gloucester City employs both Conner Strong, Buckelew as its Risk Management insurance representative and Parker and McCay as its bond counsel.