Enterprise council weighs long‑standing retiree health policy after letters to 62 former employees

Mayor William E. Cooper Sr. and city staff told the City Council on Oct. 21, 2025, that a review of the employee handbook found a decades‑old policy requiring retirees to pay specific shares of health insurance premiums and that staff had begun implementing that policy. That implementation resulted in letters to 62 former city employees notifying them of higher premium obligations effective Dec. 1.

The matter surfaced during the council’s work session when staff summarized the legal history underpinning the handbook language and the options available to the council. A city staff presenter explained that the language dates to an act the transcript refers to as “Act 86 5 41” and that a 1989 amendment in the city’s implementing resolutions added a Medicare‑eligibility cutoff at age 65; staff said the city’s handbook and council resolutions reference the 1986 and 1989 actions. Staff also told the council that a 1999 legislative change removed some mandatory language, allowing more municipal discretion in practice.

Why this matters: 62 retirees received letters saying premiums would increase under the policy the HR director identified when updating the handbook. Several retirees could face substantial monthly increases, and council members urged quick but careful action to avoid sudden financial hardship for affected people while preserving the city’s long‑term fiscal position.

City staff summary and legal background City staff said the handbook language has been included in…