A look at City Council members’ key votes, pension and insurance benefits

Oct. 04--As the debate over employee and retiree benefits continues at City Hall, we took an overview of the benefits provided to Mayor A C Wharton and members of the City Council today at commercialappeal.com. As the second part of this package, here's a look at the Memphis health and pension benefits provided to the 13 City Council members. as well as how they voted on key items during the health care debate this year.

BILL BOYD

City pension eligibility: Boyd will be eligible for an estimated $390 monthly pension payment under a provision that provides some benefits to those who have at least five years of service and have reached age 65 -- Boyd is 78 years old.

City health care coverage: Not covered.

Notable actions during this year's benefits debate: Boyd voted against the June 17 retiree health care subsidy cut and for the 24 percent premium increase for retirees and employees.

Quote: Boyd said he made clear to the city's Human Resources department when he took office in 2008 that he didn't want to participate in the city's pension plan. "I'm a retiree from Shelby County government and I didn't want to be accused of double-dipping." He said his own situation didn't impact his votes. "I voted based on what my mind and my heart told me."

JOE BROWN

City pension eligibility: Brown is older than 65 and with more than 17 years of city service credited, he will be eligible for a monthly pension estimated at $1,030.

City health care coverage: Covered under the city's premier-level family plan.

Notable actions during this year's benefits debate: Brown voted against the June 17 retiree health care subsidy cuts and for the 24 percent premium increase for retirees and employees.

Quote: Brown says he plans to talk with city attorney Herman Morris about his theory that as an elected official, his benefits shouldn't be cut. "Everything that I signed contractually when I was elected, those are my entitlements." Brown also said he opposes any cut for city pensioners. "It's really appalling to me the way that this government has handled these retirees," he said.

HAROLD B. COLLINS

City pension eligibility: Not yet eligible.

City health care coverage: Covered under the city's premier plan family coverage.

Notable actions during this year's benefits debate: Collins was out of town June 17 and did not vote on the retiree health care subsidy cuts or the 24 percent premium increase. He was the only council member to abstain from voting on Sept. 16 when the rest of his colleagues present voted for a partial reversal of the cuts.

Quote: "My situation does not change the way I would vote on pensions or health care."

KEMP CONRAD

City pension eligibility: Not yet eligible.

City health care coverage: Not covered.

Notable actions during this year's benefits debate: Voted for the June 17 retiree health care subsidy cuts and for the 24 percent premium increase for retirees and employees.

Quote: "I guess whether I had (benefits) or didn't have them I don't think it would matter." He said he chose not to take city benefits because that's not why he ran for City Council.

SHEA FLINN

City pension eligibility: Not yet eligible.

City health care coverage: Not covered.

Notable actions during this year's benefits debate: Voted for the 24 percent premium increase for employees and retirees. Voted for the June 17 retiree health care subsidy cut. Chaired a lengthy Sept. 10 hearing on alternative health care proposals. Joined Jim Strickland to sponsor a Sept. 16 resolution to temporarily restore benefits to some retirees under 65.

Quote: "I could be on (city) health care and I'd save money on their health care. I just never thought it was appropriate for me to be on their health care. I just don't know that I want to be taking that benefit from the taxpayer, necessarily. Even after the (24 percent increase) it would save me money to be on that health care plan."

EDMUND FORD JR.

City pension eligibility: Not yet eligible.

City health care coverage: Single coverage. He recently married and plans to add his wife to his insurance.

Notable actions during this year's benefits debate: Voted for the June 17 retiree health care subsidy cut. Introduced a proposal to cut the premium increase for retirees and employee from a proposed 57 percent to 24 percent.

Quote: "I have talked to my constituents about this issue and the large majority of those in District 6 are completely fine with the decision I made. Several of them have said until we get roads paved, streetlights, parks, libraries and community centers, do not raise my taxes a large amount in order to subsidize health care coverage, especially for those where 72 percent of those individuals do not live in the city."

JANIS FULLILOVE

City pension eligibility: Not yet eligible.

City health care coverage: Covered under the city's premier plan family coverage.

Notable actions during this year's benefits debate: Fullilove voted against the June 17 retiree health care subsidy cuts and abstained from voting on the 24 percent premium increase.

Quote: Fullilove said she's suffered financially as a result of the premium increase. "That's why I'm so empathetic and sympathetic with what (employees and retirees) are going through. And I have been trying to do what I could do to try to bring that down."

WANDA HALBERT

City pension eligibility: Not yet eligible

City health care coverage: Covered under the city's premier plan family coverage.

Notable actions during this year's benefits debate: Halbert voted against the June 17 retiree health care subsidy cuts and for the 24 percent premium increase for retirees and employees.

Quote: Halbert said City Council pay and benefits are relatively small and don't influence her votes. "I just don't think it's that major of a deal. And I certainly wouldn't think any council member would allow the position that we're in, which is not quite an employment position, to be an issue for them when discussing this."

LEE HARRIS

City pension eligibility: Not yet eligible.

City health care coverage: Not covered.

Notable actions during this year's benefits debate: Harris voted against the June 17 retiree health care subsidy cuts and for the 24 percent premium increase for retirees and employees.

Quote: Harris said he's chosen health insurance coverage through his job as a University of Memphis law professor. "If the health care benefits on the city side are more lavish, I suspect I would have enrolled. And I'm not enrolled."

He said he sees the health care issue as separate from the pension cuts. Harris is 36 and said he grew up in a generation that's used to 401(k)-style pension plans. He chose one through the University of Memphis rather than a traditional city pension, in part because he didn't have faith that the government will keep its promises and in part because a 401(k)-style plan is portable from job to job.

REID HEDGEPETH

City pension eligibility: Not yet eligible.

City health care coverage: Covered under the city's premier plan family coverage.

Notable actions during this year's benefits debate: Voted for the June 17 retiree health care subsidy cuts and for the 24 percent premium increase for retirees and employees.

Quote: Hedgepeth said he voted to increase his own premium and that his benefits situation doesn't have any impact on his vote. "We need to become more in line with what the private sector is doing."

MYRON LOWERY

City pension eligibility: With more than 22 years of service credited, Lowery will be eligible for a city pension, currently estimated at $1,790. He qualifies based both on his years of service and his age, 67.

City health care coverage: Covered under the city's premier plan family coverage.

Notable actions during this year's benefits debate: Voted for the June 17 retiree health care subsidy cut and for the 24 percent premium increase for retirees and employees.

Quote: "So while many people thought I might not have been in the plan and I might not have been affected, they were wrong ... I voted for the best interest of everyone in the city and not for the best interest of those in the plan."

BILL MORRISON

City pension eligibility: Not yet eligible.

City health care coverage: Not covered.

Notable actions during this year's benefits debate: Voted for the June 17 retiree health care subsidy cuts and for the 24 percent premium increase for employees and retirees.

Quote: Morrison said the votes he took were in the best interest of the taxpayers. "My premium increases every year. Almost everyone's increases every year." But he said the city should move carefully with pension benefits to ensure it remains competitive in recruiting.

JIM STRICKLAND, Council chairman

City pension eligibility: Not yet eligible

City health care coverage: Not covered.

Notable actions during this year's benefits debate: Voted for the June 17 retiree health care subsidy cut and for the 24 percent premium increase for employees and retirees. Joined Shea Flinn to sponsor a Sept. 16 resolution to restore benefits to some retirees under 65.

Quote: Asked about the influence his coverage situation had on his votes, Strickland said, "It had no impact."

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