I am an individual who has a Master’s Degree in my chosen field and employ it in the service of others. I’ve been in my job for 20 years and earn a base salary of $64,196. In addition, my employer funds a pension that will allow me to retire at age 62 with an income equivalent to 2 percent for each of my expected 40 years of service, times the average of my highest 3 years of salary. Based on historical average regular salary increases the legislature is required to fund this by setting aside about 13 percent of my annual base salary and it will give me an expected income of over $88,000 per year in 2035, including a maximum 4 percent cost of living adjustment thereafter.

Additionally, my employer pays for a premium health insurance package, but as a concession I pay about 8 percent of its cost, about the same as I contribute to my retirement. When I retire, my employer will pay 45 percent of whatever the health insurance premiums are expected to cost but my pension should more than cover the balance. Currently, this benefit adds about $12,000 per year to my income and I don’t have to pay tax on it nor do I pay tax on the set aside for my retirement which is currently about $8,500 per year.

My work is seasonal so I get about 72 paid holidays plus weekends and all federal holidays. My contract requires me to work about 187 days per year. The nature of my service is such that my employer has hired additional staff to help me so that I only have to do what I was hired to do only a little over half my time on the job.

If you haven’t yet guessed who I am I will give you another hint. I am joined by 200 colleagues who dispense our services to 2,350 clients who range in age from 6 to 18. In 2003, there were 214 of us who handled 3,409 clients but, in spite of a drop in the work load of 31 percent, our employer has been able to hold on to most because it’s for the children.

Yes, you guessed it. I am your average teacher in the Brunswick School Department. I’m sorry that we are the largest contributors to the rise in your property taxes, but I still urge you to pass this year’s school budget in June so we may keep up the fine work to which you have become accustomed.

Fred Blanchard

Brunswick