Jackson City Council approves 2026 Delta Dental and MetLife renewals after brief public comment

The Jackson City Council on Nov. 25 approved one-year renewals with Delta Dental and MetLife for city employee benefit plans covering Jan. 1–Dec. 31, 2026, after brief discussion and a public comment from an outside representative.

Miss White addressed the council before the vote, saying her firm had supplied a September agreement and competitive options for medical, reinsurance, dental and life insurance that were not taken to the council. "We did provide another agreement back in September. It was never brought before the council," she said, adding that her firm had given monthly plan-cost details to the CFO. She also said, "The HR department sent to UnitedHealthcare back, I believe, in August a letter stating that we are no longer to receive commission," and that the commission issue "is probably something we need to work out at some point in time." (Quotations are verbatim from the meeting record.)

Councilmember Miss Tavison thanked Miss White for cooperating with the city and said the administration plans to return with an "agent of record" agreement next year after committee review and additional discussion. "The mayor was not comfortable bringing that agreement forward in light of the crunch time and that nobody had evaluated this," Tavison said, and added that the item will be brought back after the committee meets.

Councilmember Miss Clay urged the council to consider cost implications before committing to an agent of record. Clay said, as stated in the meeting, "2 times 1,600 is $32,000 times 12 months is $360,000," and argued that the council should seek to reduce or avoid that expense if employees are not paying for it.

The Clerk read the first order authorizing the mayor to execute a renewal agreement with Delta Dental for a fully funded dental insurance plan for active municipal employees and retirees for the period Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2026; the council moved and approved the order with no recorded opposition in the transcript. The Clerk then read an order to renew a contract with MetLife to provide group life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance to active and retired city employees participating in the self-funded health plan for the same 2026 period; that motion also passed without recorded opposition.

The meeting record does not include a roll-call tally or a recorded vote count for either item. The council did not adopt policy changes at the meeting beyond approving the renewals; Tavison indicated the agent-of-record question will return for further review next year.

The president closed the special meeting after a brief exchange of holiday greetings and adjourned the council.