Roscoe employees will pay 6% less for health insurance

Jan. 8--ROSCOE -- Christmas may be two weeks in the rearview mirror, but the gifts keep coming for village employees.

The Roscoe Village Board, in a 4-3 vote Tuesday, reduced health insurance premium costs for its employees. Village President Mark Szula cast the deciding vote in favor of the proposal.

At the board's Dec. 17 meeting, the proposal -- which would have lowered employee contributions from 15% to 12% of total premium costs -- failed by a 3-2 vote, with trustees Mike Dunn, Susan Petty and Carol Gustafson voting no. Trustee Stacy Mallicoat was absent.

After the meeting, Szula hinted the matter would be brought up again this month when the full board would be present.

This time, however, Trustee Anthony Keene proposed a larger cut in employee premium contributions from 15% to 9%.

The proposed 6% reduction caught trustees who voted no in December off guard.

"This whole thing has gone into the theater of the absurd," Gustafson said.

Said Dunn, "So in March, we are going to go and ask the citizens for a penny sales tax (increase to pay for road improvements), and we're spending money like this? Couldn't that extra money be put into the roads."

The village has 25 employees, 14 of whom are union-member police officers. Exactly how much money this will save the employees and cost village taxpayers was not discussed.

Chris Green: 815-987-1241; [email protected]; @chrisfgreen

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