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Ottawa County commissioners approve switch to Bukaty for employee insurance administration
Summary
The Ottawa County Commission voted 3-0 to change administrative insurance broker services from FCMI to Bukaty for 2026 after an Employee Benefits Committee review; commissioners cited lower administrative fees and a 120-day window to implement the change.
The Ottawa County Board of County Commissioners voted to switch the county's employee insurance administrative services from FCMI to Bukaty for 2026.
County Treasurer JoDee Copple presented the Employee Benefits Committee's recommendation after the committee solicited proposals from five firms and interviewed three. Commissioner Carla Grund, a committee member, said the county currently pays about $53 per employee per month for administrative services plus an additional $16,000 in 2025 administrative costs tied to FCMI; she said Bukaty "will charge only $35.00 per employee per month for administrative services." The commission approved the motion "To switch employee insurance from FCMI to Bukaty Insurance for 2026" (motion by Commissioner Duane Morris; seconded by Commissioner Carla Grund), which passed 3-0.
Commissioners were told Bukaty will require a 120-day window to provide options and a smooth rollout to employees; if the Commission proceeds, Bukaty will draft a contract that the County Attorney will review and FCMI will be notified of termination for 2026 as Bukaty begins requesting claim information. The Employee Benefits Committee will review proposals Bukaty brings back and return with a formal recommendation.
The move reflects the committee's goal of reducing administrative costs while maintaining benefits; the Commission did not adopt specific premium changes at the meeting and left further proposal selection and contract approval for a later session.
