City Council votes down health insurance policy
According to city documents, the Council was previously given an option for health insurance through the city's plan. The policy was effective in
If the Council would have approved the policy, Council members would have received the same benefits and pay the same premiums as city employees. They could have also added their spouse and dependents.
The Council would have also been subject to the same eligibility requirements as city employees. Under the policy, the city would have paid for 70 percent of the employee coverage and the Council member would have paid 30 percent until a wellness goal was reached. Once that happened, the city would have paid 100 percent.
The coverage for the
Coverage would have only been available for Council members after the 2019 Municipal Election, meaning current Council members would not have been eligible to receive coverage unless they were re-elected.
Council member
Prior to voting against the measure, Council member
"I really don't think it's a good idea because we're part-time or whoever the Council would be, would be part-time and most places you work you don't get health benefits for working part-time. I just think it's a bad thing for us to do, very costly," Steele said.
Several citizens also encouraged the Council to vote against the measure during Monday's meeting.
"We're taking a look on what would be essentially part-time employees, expanding health care coverage for them. We're not even looking at all part-time employees. I don't think the pool lifeguards are looking at some kind of coverage under this plan or anything else. I think we're looking at some pretty substantial costs on the city's part in order to make this happen," local citizen
"There is an argument to be made that the Council works hard and deserves compensations, perhaps even more compensation than what they're at now. But I feel for a part-time elected assignment getting full health care benefits, especially at the cost that would be incurred by the city coffers, is perhaps too much to ask at this time and I would encourage you to vote no on this matter."
Local citizen and former Council member
"In corporate world it is standard for individuals that work 40 hours a week to receive full benefits. Some organizations are gracious enough to allow someone who works as few as 32 hours to receive health, vision, etc.
"This is one of the more selfish ideas I have heard of to reward yourself for no additional time spent on your part. If you're implying the city has nothing better to do with that amount of money, I suggest you spend it on items that will benefit a greater number of people than the five of you."
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