By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
CASSOPOLIS - A 15-percent jump in health insurance rates won't make County Administrator Terry Proctor's job of balancing the budget any easier.
The hike is effective Sept. 1 through August 2006. Proctor will be meeting with employees next week about the new plan for elected officials.
While non-union employees will be part of a new health insurance plan, "Sheriff's Department employees have not agreed to that plan," Proctor said Thursday night. "That's a key issue in going forward with binding arbitration. They're not willing to pay anything more for their health insurance, or pay higher deductibles and co-pays, unless an arbitrator rules.
Commissioner David Taylor, D-Edwardsburg, added, state officials "are continuing to cut, and they do not cut their services or activities, they cut the money they promised to pass on to us. The next thing to come under the knife is that the state Senate has proposed to start cutting the Cobo Hall convention money, which is the only money we spend in this county on drug treatment and control. They've even decided to raid that rather than to reduce their own funds. We're going to see more coming down the pike."
One resolution that promised to provoke discussion was withdrawn from the agenda at the start of the meeting.
R-108 of 2005 would implement a billing program to recover costs for the deployment of public safety services rendered at motor vehicle accidents.
The proposal indicated the Sheriff's Office would determine what it cost to deliver services, personnel, supplies and equipment to accident scenes, with costs assessed against the at-fault or responsible driver and representing an add-on cost of the claim for damages of the vehicles, property and/or injuries.
In other business, in addition to four commissioners named to an animal control ordinance review committee, Proctor said additional community members added to the panel include Dowagiac veterinarian Dr. Butts, City Manager Bill Nelson and First Ward City Councilman Darron Murray.