County talks health insurance costs, budget request
Cost of coverage for the State Employee Health Plan for next year has increased between 9.5 percent to 10.5 percent.
"We are in a position where just the increased cost of health insurance in the general fund will be an additional
County commissioners are in the process of reviewing the county's proposed 2018 budget and will receive updated numbers based on the larger-than-expected hike in insurance costs.
It's a number that likely will make a big difference in several departments' budgets, including the county attorney's office. The cost of health insurance alone now amounts to approximately 24 percent of that office's whole budget, County Attorney
Drees, Tom 17
Drees
Drees also noted the bulk of his office's budget -- approximately 95 percent -- consists of staff salaries plus benefits. The office has 11 total staff members, including five prosecutor positions. He is requesting an increase of approximately
Drees said it has become harder to recruit prosecutors, as the county's pay is not keeping pace with other counties or the private sector, he said.
"I'm not faulting the commissioners. I come in and I ask, and when you say don't increase salaries, we don't increase salaries. And I do the best I can to follow that," Drees said. "But the reality is we've been doing that for several years now, and
The department is seeking a new assistant county attorney, and another prosecutor is splitting time between
Hays attorney
"I don't understand why we're paying someone that should be here taking care of business and they are (in) other counties," Hess said, after commissioners invited her to ask her question. "I would bring this question to anyone that is being paid by
Drees said it long has been a common practice for
"We keep track and try to balance that out," Drees said. "Prosecutors from time to time run into conflicts. They have other county attorneys where we trade in and out of each other's counties to do those cases where we have conflicts. That's been going on for as long as I know."
It's a common practice for counties not to charge each other for special assistance, but rather to maintain a quid pro quo system, he said, noting
Ellis County Counselor
"That's the way it works," Drees said. "It's called being a good neighbor."
The county commission will hear additional departmental budget requests during a special meeting next week.
For more from Monday's
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