Bremer County holds FY27 employee/employer health contributions steady, asks staff to fix sheriff-wage compliance
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Summary
Supervisors voted to keep employee and employer health-insurance contributions unchanged for FY27 and asked staff to return with an amended resolution to address an attorney general opinion that may require increasing the sheriff’s salary to meet statutory comparability.
Bremer County supervisors voted to maintain current employee and employer contributions for the county’s self-insured health plan for fiscal 2027 and directed staff to absorb any additional premium costs from the fund balance for the coming year.
Committee members who reviewed the renewal advised holding the line for one year while pursuing competitive bids (RFPs) and exploring plan redesigns. One supervisor summarized the committee view: "our recommendation … is to hold the line for a year." The board moved to approve that approach and the motion passed by voice vote.
During budget discussion, a supervisor cited an attorney general statement indicating the county may not be in compliance with statutory requirements that set sheriff pay relative to comparable municipal positions. The speaker said, "we are in violation of the law," and the board directed staff to review the code and present an amended resolution or wage number for the sheriff at the next meeting so the county can ensure compliance.
Board members discussed options for addressing health-plan costs going forward — higher deductibles, RFP competition to replace the current vendor, or limited plan redesigns — and recognized any changes could shift costs to employees. The board also asked HR and finance to bring back RFP results and to reassess contribution strategy for FY28.
