Supreme Court of New Jersey December 3, 2007 (Middletown Township PBA Local 124 v. Township of Middletown)

Justice LONG

delivered the opinion of the Court.

I

At issue in these consolidated appeals is the meaning of the following language in

N.J.S.A.

40A:10-23, a statute authorizing the discretionary grant of health benefits to retirees:

[t]he employer may, in its discretion, assume the entire cost of such coverage and pay all of the premiums for employees a.