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Council keeps current benefit split for existing employees, asks staff to model new‑hire options
Summary
Council told staff to hold the current benefits split for existing employees and asked HR to present dependent‑coverage split scenarios (70/30, 60/40, 50/50) and cost impacts for new hires effective Oct. 1, after staff warned dependent premiums could roughly double under some options.
After hearing that overall insurance premiums rose about 10% and that some dependent‑coverage proposals would nearly double employee out‑of‑pocket costs, the council unanimously agreed Aug. 4 to preserve the existing benefit split for current employees and to ask staff for options for new hires.
Jamie, the HR lead, said changes to deductibles and out‑of‑pocket maximums were necessary to limit premium growth, and that keeping the current dependent‑coverage calculation would limit monthly employee increases to roughly $25–30 rather than more than $140 in the more aggressive scenarios. She told the council: "When I say the same as last year's benefit, the actual benefit itself changed ... to reduce the premium." Council members asked for concrete split alternatives; Jamie agreed to supply 70/30, 60/40 and 50/50 scenarios and the estimated budget and household impacts at the next budget meeting. The direction preserves benefits for current staff while setting a policy path for future hires.
