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City staff recommend maintaining employee premiums after IPBC 8.6% renewal; council leans to preserve benefits
Summary
Human Resources reported an 8.6% renewal from the Illinois municipal insurance cooperative (IPBC). Staff presented options to absorb the increase or pass it to employees; council expressed a preference to keep employee premiums unchanged and asked staff to present final numbers for the council meeting next week.
Joni Baxter summarized the city's participation in the Illinois Municipal Benefits Cooperative (IPBC) since 2017 and said the calendar‑year renewal arrived at an 8.6% increase for 2026. Baxter noted the city’s budgeting approach had provisioned a 10.8% estimate for four months of the fiscal year and that keeping premiums unchanged would be feasible within current budget assumptions.
Baxter estimated passing the 8.6% increase would equal about $20 per month for family coverage and $9 per month for single coverage; staff estimated the total city budget impact of keeping premiums unchanged at about $8,000. Several council members argued preserving zero employee premium increases helps recruitment and retention and directed staff to return final numbers at next week’s council meeting for formal approval with an effective date of Jan. 1, 2026.
No formal action was taken in committee; staff will return with final budget figures and a proposed ordinance or resolution for the city council meeting.
