Lawrence likely to absorb health insurance premium increase

Nov. 16--MOULTON -- The Lawrence County Commission discussed paying for a 2 percent increase in county employee health insurance premiums at a work session Wednesday morning.

"We had already agreed that we can't give a raise so we can absorb that increase," said District 5 Commissioner Joey Hargrove.

County employees pay $105 monthly for single health coverage and $315.70 for family coverage, according to Mechelle Graham, Lawrence County Commission accountant.

Hargrove said he expects the county will have to ask Changing 42 Rescue for an extension for housing animals picked up by Animal Control Officer Kimberly Carpenter. He said the current contract ends Dec. 3 and the county's animal shelter will not be completed.

"It won't be fancy," said District 4 Commissioner Bobby Burch about the planned shelter. "It'll be the bare minimum for what we need."

A budget report showed the county was in line with budget numbers one month into the new fiscal year.

It showed the Sheriff's Office has spent 10 percent of its fiscal 2018 budget. Twenty-six percent of the budgeted overtime has been used, the revenue and expenditure statement said.

"We can't help overtime," Hargrove said. "(The Sheriff's Office) has to answer calls."

County Administrator Heather Dyar said she plans to set up a Lawrence County Commission Facebook page to post commission meeting agendas and news updates.

Subscribe

[email protected] or 256-340-2442. Twitter @DD_Wetzel.

___

(c)2017 The Decatur Daily (Decatur, Ala.)

Visit The Decatur Daily (Decatur, Ala.) at www.decaturdaily.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.