Mason Cty. Commissioners: Part-Timers want More Taxpayer-funded Health Care Costs

[XLFD]

At 9:00 AM on Tuesday, January 17, 2012, the Mason County Board of Commissioners Finance, Personnel, and Rules Committee will mull over whether to give a Payment-in-Lieu-of Health-Insurance to those three (of ten) county commissioners who currently do not receive Health Insurance courtesy of the County and it's taxpayers.  The seven that currently receive such benefits get between $6000 and $19,000 per year for it, depending on the amount of their dependents that also benefit therefrom.  Instead of making an editorial comment here, I'll let the Commissioners talk about it, as reported two years ago by Ludington Daily News' best ex-reporter, Jennifer Linn Hartlet on October 6th, with some  notes put in by yours truly in brackets. 

 

Health care coverage for the seven of 10 commissioners who currently accept the benefit is expected to cost the county $109,000 in the upcoming year.  {Note:  See the table at the end}

Commissioner Mary Nichols said the public was shocked to learn commissioners received health insurance for their position, saying many people spoke to her about the issue, when the Ludington Daily News published a story about the benefits in April {Note: the 4-21-10 LDN has an extensive, investigative look at all benefits received, possibly a reason Jennifer found disfavor at the LDN}

She said she would like to see that benefit eliminated as a cost-saving measure.

Chairman Mike Schneider disagreed the information about health benefits came as a shock to the public, saying no one mentioned it to him {Note:  Schneider received over $18,000 that year for health and dental benefits, maybe he should have his hearing checked}. He said she made statements in print earlier this year that implied he had taken the health insurance benefit all 18 years he’s been on the commission. He said he has not taken health insurance from the county all of those years {Note: he doesn't comment on how many he did}.

He also said the commissioner’s job is a full-time role and should come with health insurance.  {Note:  here is what Schneider said in the April article:  “The function of the county board is to pass laws. The county board accomplishes this by passing resolutions or ordinances,” he said.  "Commissioners attend various meetings, including the monthly board meetings, committee meetings and any special meetings that may be called."   One 90 minute meeting per month, and an occasional committee meeting-- sounds full-time to me!}

Nichols disagreed, saying she sees it as part-time.

“I don’t care what you see,” he said, stating the commissioners also get money toward their retirement, which he said means they’re considered full-time employees {Note: as a part-paid volunteer fire-fighter I got money put toward my retirement, it didn't make me a full-time firefighter.  This was the chairman speaking this nonsense.}

“Where do you get part time?” he asked.

Where do you get full time?” she asked.

Commissioner Chuck Lange suggested Nichols consider asking the board to vote on ending health benefits for new board members, allowing current members who take it (he doesn’t) to keep their insurance.

“You can’t just pull it away from them,” Lange said

“People in jobs get it pulled away from them every day,” she said. “This is taxpayers’ money.” {Note:  Ms. Nichols has the right ideas, as she's shown throughtout her arguments}

Nichols said commissioner Joe Lenius had suggested the same thing.

Lenius added Tuesday, starting by eliminating health insurance for incoming commissioners only “might go a long way” toward getting her the votes needed to pass a change in the health benefit.

Jerome Rybicki is one of the seven current commissioners to take health care.

If he loses the benefit, “it would be a disaster, really,” he said.

Even with the county-offered benefit, he pays $4,000 toward his insurance.

Unless the county board does make a change, it faces continuing to pay indefinitely, as new board members are eligible and may take health insurance if they choose {Note:a subtle commentary by Jennifer}

__________________________________________

Here's a better idea: let's cut the health insurance benefits completely to the other seven commissioners so we don't have to worry about the disparity. These guys and gals meet once a month in front of the public, and have no regular office.

A lot of people out in Mason County work hard full-time at minimum wage or slightly higher without any health insurance from their employer. Save those people of Mason County from paying the health insurance of a commission that acts often against their safety, economic, and health interests (as in the actions against CARRE and the Hackerts).  Many of the citizens of this county work 40 hours or more a week and are lucky to be able to pull in what Schneider receives for just his health insurance for a couple of hours of work each month. 

 

Contact your Commissioners and express your feelings on whether the County should spend around $30,000 for more perks, and how you feel about the over $100,000 in taxpayer money already utilized for this.

 

The following table has seven columns representing respectively, (1) the district number, (2) the name, (3) their salary, (4) Per Diem {they get $60 per day for each committee meeting they apply for, even though they meet in the county for short times!} (5) Health Insurance, (6) Dental Ins. (7) Total.

 

1   Joe Lenius        3,100     899.96   14,343.05   1,902.76    20,245.77

2   Mike Schneider 3,100   1,319.96  16,994.94    1,181.00    22,595.90

3 Bob Erickson      3,100   2,144.96    4,855.11       776.00    10,876.07

4 Chuck Lange*     3,100   2,249.96           0.00      625.00      5,974.96

5 Jerome Rybicki   3,100   1,169.96   15,734.54    1,150.51    21,155.01

6 Tom Posma **    3,700   1,994.96   15,278.78       222.60    21,196.34

7 Mary Nichols      3,100     899.96            0.00          0.00      3,999.96

8 Ron Sanders      3,100   1,799.96    15,278.78    1,231.00    21,409.74

9 Bob Genson       3,100   1,409.96            0.00    1,527.01      6,036.97

10 Lewis Squires   3,100   1,139.96    13,681.24     1,113.00   19,034.20

Totals                 31,600 15,029.60     96,166.44     9,728.88  152,524.92

[Willy]

These are the same people that gave us the wind tower project over the objections of a large majority of the public. How can these commissioners think that they deserve these costly benefits for being a part time employee? I'm assuming most of them work at full time jobs. Does Ludington pay health care benefits for Councilors and the Mayor?

[Wanda Marrison]

No

[XLFD]

To the credit of the Ludington Councilors and mayor, they do not receive very many benefits.  Their salaries are at $30,000 and their fringes and other expenses have been about only $7000 over the last few years.  Plus they meet twice a month unlike the County Commissioners, but...

The Ludington City Council's current salary is contrary to the City Charter, as the so-called raise back in 1994 (that incorporated an equally-ridiculous and unlawful transportation allowance they allotted themselves prior that totalled about $20,000)  jumped their salary 7200 percent to the current amount of $3600 per year.   By charter it should be $50 per annum until raised in a manner that the Charter permits.

One also has to wonder about the recent increase in seminar/workshops money for the budget as well as the transportation expense.  Are they planning on making another unlawful raise for themselves by transferring funds from expense accounts as they did in 1994?  Perhaps Wanda can explain the jumps; I have read nothing in the Open Meetings of our City Council to justify those two dramatic jumps in costs.

[Wanda Marrison]

Transportation moneys budgeted for 2009 was $1,600 actually spent was $323.00.

Transportation moneys budgeted for 2010 was $1,500 actually spent was $420.00.

Transportation moneys budgeted for 2011 was $1,400 actually spent thru Aug of 2011 was $109.00

Conf./Workshops moneys budgeted in 2009 was $4,200 actually spent was $245.00

Conf./Workshops moneys budgeted in 2010 was $4,100 actually spent was $1227.00

Conf./Workshops moneys budgeted in 2011 was $3,200 actually spent thru Aug 2011 was $1172.00

I'm not a CPA but it looks like the budgets for these two are being cut not increased. What is being spent, is less than what was budgeted. Seems to be the right idea, I'd say.

I'll get the actual year end expenditures for these two next week.

[XLFD]

I commend the City Council for keeping the money actually spent way under the money budgeted for the last few years for these two, but my point on these were more the fact that the amount in 2008 budgeted for these were $500 and $1000, and they were jumped up to $1600 and $4200 for the year 2009 and have basically remained at that budget level since, even though you have been spending much less. 

Those budget levels jumped 320% and 420% respectively and have not significantly moderated, however, the numbers budgeted for 2008 and before are more realistic to what you have been spending since.  I realize you were not on the council until 2010, but when the budget was made for 2009, the year of the big jump in those numbers, the country was going through rough economic times, and such a budget jump, with no rationale, has me puzzled.  I'm not a CPA myself, but do you have any idea why it was made thus?

 

 

[XLFD]

To answer your other question:  How can these commissioners think that they deserve these costly benefits for being a part time employee?  The answer is simple:  self-inflated egos and arrogance. 

Just look at Former Chairman Schneider's replies to MCC Mary Nichols:  "“I don’t care what you see." and “Where do you get part time?”   Unfortunately, Mr. Schneider actually meant this, and wasn't being sarcastic. 

[Marty Redman]

Just think if you were running a business that had seven employees that met once a month for two hours and they maybe had one or two hourlong meetings beside where they couldn't actually do anything substantive other than advise what to do at their bigger meeting. 

Giving them a generous four hours a month, the Mason CCs are earning $65 an hour, including average benefits amounting to $31 an hour for per diem, $200 an hour for health insurance and $20 an hour for dental.  That's $316 paid for each and every hour that each of your commissioners work.   Double those figures if you feel the committee meetings are optional.

Mary Nichols may be the only one to admit it, but the people of Mason County are there bosses.  While youv'e been sleeping they have given themselves these benefits while your flipping burgers for 24 hours at one place and making beds at another place for 24 hours without getting benefits for neither and at the end of the year your bringing home less than what these people get for health insurance-- for holding a two hour meeting each month.  No wonder these guys feel like rock stars. 

Excellent piece XLFD, but be concerned about opening up another front.

[Willy]

Good analogy Marty. Now add the fact that these employees are going against company policy and are not performing their jobs as required and contrary to their employers requests.

[Sweater Cows!]

Why should ppl on the city or county boards be paid anything at all?? I don't think they should make one dime from these positions. I actually did not know they got paid for them until reading it at this site.

They should be  'volunteer' positions that a person is elected for(they should be doing it  to be a representative of their areas they live in and not for any sort of money). It should be an altruistic pursuit to represent the people, not make money for a couple hours a month!

[XLFD]

Run for County Commissioner later this year, Shrugs, and use your thoughts on this as part of your platform.  Research your opponent's votes and positions over the last few years here, and weigh whether it's worth it to change those votes and positions.  I believe you've said you are in Tom Posma's district six, so you'd be in for an uphill battle if you do.  But you'd be a lot better as far as serving the public.

[Sweater Cows!]

I was mistaken, I am not in county as far as board goes but never really thought about it being different at home than at work *rolls eyes at self* lol (amazing what a change a few yards makes)