Logan County Board Workshop Meeting
Board Discusses Insurance for Non-Union Employees

 

[September 14, 2024] 

On the evening of September 12th, the Logan County Board met for their monthly Workshop meeting, where they prepare for the following week’s Regular Board meeting. One of the subjects discussed at this meeting was paying for insurance for all non-union employees. Union employees’ insurance is covered by the contract they have with the county, but non-union employees are subject to the board’s decisions in this regard.

Since at least August, the board has been debating on whether to start paying all of the insurance for individual employees. The employees would be responsible for the cost of any dependents or spouses added to their insurance plans. It was decided at the Workshop meeting in August that this item would be sent back to committee until the employees could be talked to. The board wanted to make sure that this insurance plan was something the employees would want.

At the time for public comments, Lisa Bobb, a non-union employee, stood up and asked the board if now would be a good time to address some of her concerns regarding insurance. Board member Dale Nelson suggested Bobb wait until they get to the Finance Committee portion of the meeting. Nelson also clarified that the intent of making a motion to pay for the individual health insurance of all non-union employees was never to replace any raise that might be decided on once next year’s budget is created.

Once the board got to the Finance Committee's motions, the issue of insurance was once again brought up. Nelson again explained that the intent of this motion was not to replace a potential salary increase. He also clarified that non-union employees would have to “take it or leave it.” They would not be able to turn down the insurance but collect the amount the board would have spent on that insurance in cash.

Board member Michael DeRoss shared his dislike for providing completely free insurance. DeRoss stated his reasoning behind this is that, when insurance is free, it removes any “rationing device.” He further stated that he would prefer there to be at least a small charge on the employee. He likened his point to receiving a free dinner. If given the choice between a steak or a hamburger, he stated people would choose the steak if they knew they would not be required to pay for it. Nelson responded to this by stating that Penny Thomas, the Logan County Treasurer, made an estimate that providing free individual health insurance to non-union employees would cost about $60,000 annually. Nelson shared that Thomas told him $60,000 was estimated for DeRoss’s exact scenario, if everyone took the highest cost plan.

Board member Bob Sanders also shared his concern with agreeing to pay completely for employee insurance. His reasoning for this was that insurance costs can rise. “Next year it could double,” Sanders said. He suggested a scale of sorts where people on the top end would contribute a small amount to their insurance and the people on the bottom end would have their insurance completely covered. This suggestion was “just food for thought.”

Board member Kathy Schmidt then chimed in, sharing that her husband works with insurance for a living. She further shared that he has told her that all the municipalities he works with across the country pay 100 percent of their employees’ insurance. He was surprised to discover that Logan County did not. DeRoss countered by stating that the city of Chicago did not do this, to which Schmidt told him her husband only works with smaller communities similar to Logan County.

Board member Hannah Fitzpatrick then spoke up, stating a concern that she had. She stated that sometimes, if someone is on their spouse’s insurance but they then get offered free health insurance through their own work, their spouse’s insurance forces them to take the free health insurance. Fitzpatrick stated that she knows State Farm does this for sure.

Nelson then suggested sending the motion back to committee and talking to their insurance liaison to ask some of these questions before proceeding any further with it. Board member Keenan Leesman agreed with Nelson’s suggestion, stating more information was likely needed.

Before moving on, Nelson addressed the employees in attendance and asked if they still wanted to say something regarding the insurance topic. Bobb stood up again, electing to share some of her thoughts and concerns. She stated that when she started working at the courthouse in 2008, her insurance was fully covered. Bobb then shared that she and some of her other coworkers were discussing the matter, and they believe that 2011 was the year that “the gate kind of started to creep a little open,” and the employees were asked to start covering a small amount of the cost of insurance. She further stated that every year since then, the insurance cost has been going up and has not been well above what their salary increases were, if there was one that year.

Bobb continued, saying she always remembers hearing that the board does not have enough money for non-union employees. “We always hear that, when it’s time for the budget to get settled, that there’s no money for the non-union employees. That is what I’ve heard every year for sixteen years.” Bobb then asked where the board is going to get that money if they have never had it before. Bobb stated that she has more questions, but she is going to save them for the emergency Finance Committee meeting next week Wednesday, September 18th, at 5:45 p.m. The meeting will take place in the Blue Room, which is in the basement of the Logan County Safety Complex.

[Matt Boutcher]