The Kinross
Township Board met on Monday February 25,2008 at
6:00 pm. The Board members who take Health Insurance proposed that they
would eliminate their dependants health
insurance while continuing most of the
cost for their own insurance.
UPDATE: 2/29/08
Board a day late and a dollar short!
$172,000.00 dollars short for that matter. They now like the idea of a salary compensation committee although they fought it in 2006. THIS IS JUST ANOTHER STALLING MOTION! they intend to delay the process. It would be a good idea to use this committee after the new Board is seated but as they know, if this issue is not settled now it would not impact the new Board. Yes that's right they are trying to pull the wool over the taxpayers eyes. The soonest that a Salary Compensation committee could act would be 2009 which would make it to late to impact the new Board. The Board has added the Salary Compensation item to the agenda for this coming meeting on March 3rd. Make sure to attend and tell the Board it is time to end full time 100% Township (taxpayer) paid health care coverage for part time elected officials and their families.
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MORE NEWS YOU CAN USE |
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Government health benefits / Not for part-timers "In the private-sector, it's a virtual given that part-timers do not get get health benefits. It's also a virtual given that every time some taxpayer-funded budget increases, the public officials in charge of it blame skyrocketing medical costs. Part of the solution is clear: No. Health benefits. For part-timers. Not for municipal officials. Not for county freeholders. Not for members of the state Assembly and Senate. Not in any agency, authority, board or body: No health benefits for part-time work." |
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Elected officials in Sellersburg may lose health insurance “We consider our jobs part-time — we don’t think it’s a good financial decision to give (health) insurance to part-time employees,” said council president Brian Meyer. “(Health) insurance is a huge expense, it is really not a good fiscal decision to offer it to elected officials." |
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Pay, benefits for part-time elected officials raise questions “The council should give up its health insurance and save the taxpayers over $32,000 a year,” Elliott wrote in her budget analysis. “It’s really not fair to expect people who don’t have jobs to pay for health insurance for part-time employees.” |
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Mayor to eliminate health insurance for councilors "He met with several other regional mayors at a conference recently and learned that it is rare for elected officials to receive taxpayer-funded health insurance." |
Do not let them delay this action. They know that if they can beat the clock they got it made. Health Insurance for Board members and their dependants must be deleted from the General budget and the Ordinance must be modified and updated prior to the election otherwise it will be four more years before we can fix it. A salary compensation committee at this late date is nothing more than a cheap parlor trick. If they actually were serious about this they would have implemented the committee a long time ago.
"Don't just look at the health premiums, take a look at the prescription reimbursement for non generic drugs, and the life and disability as well. There is also the retirement fund. Then take and add up the total premiums that have been paid since this issue was first broached in 2003 before the election."
That's a good idea. I think I will FOIA that information as well. Stay tuned!
Another point is the reader made is:
"Recreation is the ONLY service that the Township provides to the taxpayers at no cost. We pay for water, sewer, police, streets, ambulance, schools, and even user fees at the Township Hall. The purpose of government is to collect taxes and provide the best possible services for the amount of taxes collected. They are not supposed to build up big bank accounts under "what if" scenarios! If they don't have a 5 or 10 year plan toward which they plan to spend the taxes, and yet the money piles up in an account... that means they are collecting too much! "
You got that right! Now Vicki Ulrich is proposing to raise the fees the Township charges to churches and other non-profit groups who use the Township building for non-profit functions. Just think, the taxpayers paid over $37,000.00 to cover her and her husband's health insurance and she wants to raise the churches fees. OUTRAGEOUS!! These Board members are out of touch with reality.
In my opinion, and in consultation with others I have talked to, this does not address the issue that full time 100% Township (taxpayer) paid health care coverage for part time elected officials and their families is wrong - not just half wrong. You can't paint a pig a cow. The fact that dependants were covered in the first place is just plain inconceivable. We are the only Township in the UP and perhaps the majority of Michigan that allows such an outrage to the Taxpayers. They have gotten away with it for so long because the citizens have not stood up and said enough!
We will try to inform you of the next General Fund budget meeting that will determine the outcome of this issue. This extravagant indulgence by the Board must end. Kinross Township Taxpayers paid a whopping $172,000.00 in health Insurance premiums for Board members and their families. Yes that is correct..we paid 100% of their premium for the Board members and their families. Marvin Besteman, Vicki Ulrich and Ed DeWitt have admitted that the only reason they sit on the Township Board is so they can get full time health care coverage for part time service. Another reader wrote "Marvin Beteman said at the last meeting there was some dissent in the community on the Board's insurance but only a few people were vocal" So in his mind, as long as nobody speaks up, he can get away with whatever he wants.
I have developed an online poll for the taxpayers to participate on this issue. Please make your voice heard.
Here is an idea! Give up your health insurance and use the savings to get some of the problems fixed in this community i.e. storm water drainage, old rusty dilapidated playground equipment in Township parks, enhance the recreation center to provide more services (including weekends) to the children in our community instead of stuffing your pockets. What happened to the Street beautification project? Even though the Businesses forced you to do the right thing by scraping the anti-business portions of the plan we should use that money that was set aside to beautify our community. What happened to that money? Instead what do they do? knock down more buildings and create more empty lots that they can't sell. Is this the money that the Board is now bragging about as their budget saving accomplishments?
Do what you are already paid to do.
Should the public accept the idea of an additional pay raise for Board members once they are forced to give up full time 100% Township (taxpayer) paid health care coverage for part time elected officials and their families? I don't think so, what do you think? Let me know. I have already heard from many of you who have told me that the Board is already paid too much for the little that they do. Also, be carefull. Even if they take some action to eliminate full time 100% Township (taxpayer) paid health care coverage for part time elected officials and their families, they can still give it back to themselves after the election. They must be forced to deal with the Township ordinance concerning Health Insurance. Think of it this way. They agree to give up their health insurance and after it all blows over and they get reelected they vote to give it back to themselves. They then will have gotten a raise plus their insurance.
Fast Fact: Roughly one in 10 Township residents have little or no health insurance coverage whatsoever and many of them are children. Information from Public Sector Consultants, Inc. Sponsored by the Michigan Nonprofit Association and the Council of Michigan Foundations