Hillsboro Civil Service and Employee Relations committee makes recommendations on elected officials' health insurance

One week after a lengthy debate, the Hillsboro Civil Service and Employee Relations committee met Monday, Oct. 9 and voted unanimously to recommend council enact legislation revoking free health insurance for public officials.

After having the issue on their agenda for seven months, the committee members voted 3-0 Monday to recommend changing the current 100-percent coverage to offering health insurance at a 15-percent rate (city covers the other 85 percent).

As previously reported, Hillsboro Law Director Randalyn Worley had asked in February for the employee handbook policies on health insurance, as well as overtime, to be placed in the Civil Service and Employee Relations committee.  

The committee met in March to begin reviewing insurance for elected officials, according to committee chair Dan Baucher, but at that time the issue “was tabled until more data is acquired.” They met again Sept. 5, and discussed “eligibility and concerns” regarding health insurance, Baucher said at the Sept. 14 city council meeting.

According to Baucher, in September the committee had tentatively “made the recommendation that no elected official was eligible for health insurance” because they believed there was no legislation to support it.

On Monday, Oct. 2, discussions continued, but the matter was still not resolved, as the committee meeting included discussion from Baucher, fellow committee member Mary Stanforth, city auditor Dawson Barreras, public works superintendent Shawn Adkins and code enforcement officer/economic development coordinator Lauren Walker.

Among the topics debated Oct. 2 was whether legislation discovered in the past month can support paying for health insurance coverage and whether officials should be given 100-percent coverage or pay for 15 percent, as other city employees do. It was repeatedly asked of the committee to “keep it status quo,” and let the elected officials receive free health insurance.

Also discussed Oct. 2 was the fact that a 1983 ordinance was originally used as the basis for providing insurance benefits, while an ordinance approved in 2015 amended that section of the city’s code and no longer includes that provision.

For more background, see the story at: https://highlandcountypress.com/health-insurance-policies-elected-offic….

As for Monday, Oct. 9, that committee meeting lasted 15 minutes, with those in attendance including the three committee members as well as city council member Jason Brown (who did not weigh in).

Before voting, the committee discussed some of the topics that had come up during the Oct. 2 meeting. One suggestion by Adkins was that the city should “look at raising” the mayor’s salary to $29,000 to accommodate the cost of insurance. However, it was brought up that Worley had previously advised that they could not raise Harsha’s salary, based on the Ohio Revised Code.

Baucher said he asked Worley for another opinion, and she confirmed that they could not adjust the public officials’ pay.

“As far as adjusting the mayor and law director’s pay to compensate, we cannot adjust their salaries until next term, since they're both running unopposed,” Baucher said. “So it would be 2028 before we could adjust their pay.”

Stanforth pointed out that the city cannot wait until 2028 to make a decision on insurance, since there is not currently legislation on the books for it.

“I think we definitely have to have an ordinance, and have one very soon, because we need to clarify what the procedure is,” she said. “The sooner we can do that, the better off we're going to be.”

Committee member Don Storer — who was unable to attend the Oct. 2 meeting — asked why the 1983 legislation was repealed in 2015. Baucher said that Worley has been unable to find a record of “anything that was talked about, as to a reason why.”

(The minutes for the meeting, as well as The Highland County Press’ coverage, show that the ordinance was introduced by the safety and service director and approved unanimously, after unanimous suspension of the three-reading rule, without discussion.)

Stanforth and Baucher asked Storer if he was “in favor of” elected officials being under the same insurance rate as other city employees, paying for 15 percent while the city covers the other 85 percent. Storer indicated that he was.

Stanforth then asked about the issue of “payouts” for those not choosing to join the city’s insurance.

“The treasurer and the judge are now getting payouts because they didn't take the insurance,” she said.

“If you’re not using it, why should you get paid for something?” Storer asked. “That’s my thought.”

“But there is an ordinance somewhere that says that the city employees do get a payout,” Baucher said. “If they choose not to take the insurance, they get the [payout].”

Stanforth said she felt they “need to include in the ordinance” language removing that provision.

“Just for elected officials?” Baucher asked.

Stanforth nodded, and Storer repeated, “If you’re not taking it, why should you get paid?”

Storer later added, “If they decide not to take the insurance, obviously, they’ve got a better deal somewhere else. We shouldn't be paying to supplement that deal. It is an elected position, after all. You take it voluntarily. I don’t think that would be appropriate.”

Also discussed was the matter of which elected officials should be included in the ordinance, as the 1983 legislation listed the mayor, law director, Municipal Court judge and auditor. The 2015 ordinance, which replaced that legislation, also named the treasurer, but the language was involving salaries and not insurance.

“Do we offer it to the treasurer?” Baucher asked.

“We’re going to have to,” Stanforth said. “I don’t know how you cannot include her, since she’s an elected official.”

After their discussions, Stanforth made the motion to recommend new legislation implementing the 85/15 health insurance rate to be offered to elected officials (auditor, judge, law director, mayor, treasurer); and removing the provision for payouts for officials declining the insurance.

She also moved to recommend that council suspend the three-reading rule and pass the legislation as an emergency, so that the ordinance takes effect immediately.

“Their insurance just started October 1,” Stanforth said.

Hillsboro City Council will hold their regular monthly meeting Oct. 12 at 7 p.m.