County Board could vote to take away its health insurance benefits Members would have to pay all full premiums By Sarah Riley News-Chronicle Brown County supervisors could start paying all of their health insurance premiums if a resolution passed by the county Administration Committee makes it past the full board. The committee voted 3-2 Monday to allow supervisors to remain on the county's health plan but they would have to pay all premiums, whether they use the single or family option. Currently, 14 supervisors utilize the health insurance benefit. Supervisors pay 25 percent of the premiums and the county picks up the rest. Full-time county employees pay 5 percent and part-time employees pay a higher percentage based on the hours they work below 40 per week. "This is not a job where you seek benefits," said Sup. Mary Marquardt, who also wanted to lower the pay supervisors receive. Sup. Rick Schadewald, who said he takes the county's dental insurance option for his family, said the cost of health care for supervisors was too much for the county to shoulder during a budget shortage. "I can't justify it anymore," he said. "I can't in good conscience say that that is a good move on our part." Marquardt said the cost is about $103,000 in premiums on top of $133,000 in claims. No other counties in the state pay for health and dental insurance. Sup. Rob Miller, who does not take insurance from the county, argued that members work hard and should be compensated with a percentage of the health insurance cost. "I see no reason to decrease my pay or the potential pay" of others, he said. "I don't think this is a volunteer position." Committee members also voted to keep their salaries the same at $7,500 for the 2004-2006 term. In other committee news: - Members held a long discussion on the Facilities Management Plan to eventually divide county operations into two campuses, one centered downtown around the courthouse and the other, referred to as "bay view" near the Mental Health Center. The committee voted on three issues: to not renovate the current Mental Health Center into a mental health facility, to recommend the direction of the county go toward two campuses and to direct the Facilities Master Plan to create a plan based on that idea. Sup. Rob Miller said it was premature to vote on a motion against renovation of the MHC because the county executive's Blue Ribbon Task Force has not presented a recommendation for the facility. A study shows renovations allowing the building to remain as a mental health facility would be too expensive. But the county has not determined the cost of renovating a smaller section of the building if it determines some of the populations can be treated elsewhere, Miller said. "We have to see what the recommendation of the Blue Ribbon Committee is," said Miller, who is a member of the Human Services Committee. Marquardt said the Facilities Management plan was created to give the county a vision for its future locations and does not revolve around the specifics of the MHC. "That larger picture goes far beyond the Mental Health Center as a mental health facility," she said. "The mental health facility can be better used for better items going in there." The committee passed the recommendations with Miller and Sup. Fred Graves abstaining.