The Commission voted almost unanimously to allow Commissioners to "buy-in" to the taxpayer-funded benefits plan. You may wonder why when it's over-priced and badly managed? Because you have a pre-existing condition and because this is a group plan, there's virtually no underwriting!!! So, the taxpayers are now going to fund our SICK Commissioners and anyone else they want to give the charity to. I suggest everyone call their Commissioners and let them know how you feel about this. It is a perfect example of how elected public servants enrich themselves within their little cabal that we pay for.
I'm wondering why they wouldn't give ALL part-time employees the SAME option - then it would not be so egregious. They should extend this to all that have the "same" parameters or they should rescind this perk...
That is a very, very reasonable question and expectation. Even more relevant in light of the fact that part-time employees are actually EMPLOYEES!! The Commissioners are NOT, and the commissioners actually have other jobs/careers or are retired from the same! This is a horrific abuse of power and violation of the public trust. The money in the employee benefits has accumulated out of the paychecks of the full time employees and now the greedy commissioners want to get their hands on it, same as Social Security and Medicare. We need to vote the entire Commission OUT.
My notes taken at the Commission Meeting reflect that there were 12 yes on the original motion and 7 no’s. Those against were commissioners Carol Cook, Steve Pearcy, Joe Frank Jernigan, Mike Kusch, Pettus Reed, Joe Gourley and Rhonda Allen. Virgil Gammon abstained.
Some commissioners do understand that this could have very negative implications.
It’s my understanding that before this came to the Feb. Steering Committee that the Risk Management (Insurance) Committee in January advised that any recommendation should wait until the RM director could bring more information back to the next meeting in late Feb.
Even though Risk Management is purely advisory, they still are tasked with reviewing the plan changes to allow commissioners, road board and school board members to buy in. Hopefully, all commissioners will pay attention to that meeting.
I’ve seen the Commission rescind votes in the past after they had ALL the information pertinent to an issue.
On a side note: the RM director has been replaced since that January meeting, though I have no knowledge of the circumstances.
Commissioner Harris does not know what he's talking about. This fund was built by full time W2 employees of the County. Now Harris wants to re write the plan documents to allow himself and his buddies (who could be very, very sick people) to hop on and raid the fund after a 3-month wait and no pre-existing condition limitations. You can't take a pot of honey, put poison in it, and expect it to remain pure honey. It would be poison.
Good reporting. Commissioners should in no way be afforded county insurance - it's not a full time job. On another note, I am disgusted that the Commissioners give tax payer money to the "charities of their choice." I'm sure some of the charities are worthy BUT it's not in the job description to be benevolent with other people's money.
Tim Powers, I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who has questioned this practice of giving taxpayer money to the "charities" of THEIR choice. It is just another one of those things that no commissioner is even questioning, just going along with it.
Are County Commissioners using tax-funded benefits as a personal charity?
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