Washington County hears fiscal update; approves Benetech renewal and awards milk bid to Sick Away Creamery

Washington County officials on Feb. 13 reported the first sales-tax deposit of 2025 was up $362,000 over the prior year, providing early-year revenue strength, but also flagged a general-fund lag and specific overrun risks such as assigned-counsel costs that contributed to an interim $14 million variance being partly attributable to timing and prior-year appropriations.

County administration said about $6 million in revenues are not yet booked and $3 million of a reported shortfall was attributable to surplus appropriations from 2023 that were carried into 2024; after adjusting those items the county described an effective gap of approximately $5 million. Officials singled out assigned counsel as a major ongoing pressure—staff noted roughly $900,000 of the shortfall tied to assigned counsel so far—and said the county would explore settlement and contract remedies.

The board approved exercising renewal options in the county’s existing contract with Benetech, the county’s health-insurance broker and third-party administrator for disability and workers’ compensation services. Under the renewal the per-contract administrative fee will increase modestly: from $12.00 per contract to $12.24 in the first renewal year and $12.49 in the following year; county staff said the change equates to an estimated $2,100 increase in 2025 and an approximate $4,400 increase the following year, with last year’s total fees reported as about $109,907. The board authorized the option period (two additional one-year renewals), telling staff to go to RFP in advance of the later expiration.

County officials credited Benetech with advocacy on complex claims administration and with helping the county capture pharmacy rebates and other recoveries that previous vendors did not pursue aggressively. The renewal vote was put to the committee and carried.

Separately, the board awarded the milk bid used by the sheriff’s office and the county nutrition program to Sick Away Creamery of Troy. Bidders and per-gallon prices discussed in the packet: Sick Away’s bid was $4.19 per gallon; Glens Falls Produce bid $4.49; Instant Whip Eastern bid $4.39. Staff said last year’s milk purchasing totaled about $40,000; because the award was under the $50,000 threshold it did not require a separate board resolution. The lowest responsive bidder was Sick Away Creamery and the award was carried.

The board also approved corrected tax-bill payments and a short slate of real-property resolutions (resolution D among them), and later recessed into an executive session for negotiation and civil-service matters. Motions for contract renewal and the bid award were seconded and carried by voice vote as recorded in the meeting.