BOC Tables County Health Insurance Question

The issue of whether Franklin County Commissioners should receive county-paid health insurance is tabled for now while the county attorney researches the matter.

At their meeting Monday night, commissioner Robert Franklin motioned to approve the plan, which was seconded by commissioner David Strickland.  However, before the vote, commissioners Jeff Jacques and Clint Harper said the plan is illegal and unethical.

Providing county health insurance to commissioners, who are considered part-time salaried employees, came up last week at the boards work session and was recommended by commissioner David Strickland.

Strickland said with Obamacare coming in January, the new law will require employers to provide health coverage to part-time employees.   But Commissioner Clint Harper called the coverage nothing more than a perk for commissioners.

Commissioner Jeff Jacques did not attend the work session last week, but at their regular meeting Monday evening, said he was adamantly against the idea, noting it was a violation of local legislation passed by voters, which only requires health insurance for full-time county employees.

Jacques also called it an ethical violation and said it would raise the current budget by 41%.

“Our overall governing body budget for this year is $57,935. If each commissioner took health insurance paid for by the county, the cost, considering where the current rates are, would be $25,000,” Jacques said.

Over a ten year period, Jacques said that’s $250,000 additional cost to the taxpayer.

“We haven’t given county employees any kind of an increase this year and this $25,000 that’s being proposed would fund every employee in this county with a half-percent salary increase,” Jacques said. “I am adamantly opposed to it. I don’t think it’s right. I don’t think it’s legal and I will fight it as a county commissioner and as a private citizen.”

Commissioner David Strickland said the insurance could be paid for from the savings the county realized finding a lower-cost health insurance provider this past year.   He also said not all of the board would take advantage of the health insurance.

“The way I see we basically  have saved roughly $48,000,” he said. “With two commissioners, you’re looking at about $10,000.”

But commissioner Clint Harper called providing county paid health insurance to the board unethical and asked county attorney Bubba Samuels to confirm that.   Samuels said he would have to research the matter.

Commission chair Thomas Bridges then asked commissioner Robert Franklin to rescind his motion and the matter was tabled.