Council to decide on health insurance premium change

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

If all goes as expected, Van Wert city employees will pay a smaller share of health insurance premiums next year.

Currently, the city pays 87 percent of health insurance premiums for its employees, with the workers covering the remaining 13 percent. During Monday night’s meeting of Van Wert City Council, a resolution was introduced to establish rates for employee contributions in the city’s healthcare program and Health Savings Account (HSA) program for calendar year 2027. The resolution includes a reduction in employee contributions, from 13 percent to three percent.

“The biggest complaint I have gotten since I’ve been here the last four years is insurance,” City Auditor Erika Blackmore explained to council members. “I crunched the numbers, I looked at it (and) with the amount of people that take the insurance versus what we’re paying for insurance, it really wasn’t that much more to go employer-pay 97 percent, employee pay three percent. So it’s one thing that in administration we decided to do to give back to our employees because we don’t want to lose what we have – we have a very good workforce right now.”

“It used to be you’d work for the government because the benefits outweighed the pay but you can’t really say that anymore with the pay not up with standards,” she continued. “Benefits aren’t really there so I figured it’s just one more way to make it more intriguing.”

Councilwoman At-Large Jana Ringwald asked how employee healthcare contributions compare to other municipalities, and Blackmore used a similar sized, statutory city – Upper Sandusky – as an example.

“They actually pay 100 percent of their premiums, 100 percent of their maximum out of pocket and 100 percent of their deductibles,” Blackmore stated. “That’s just one community but it’s very common for municipalities…they’re very generous with their healthcare.”

Blackmore also noted that health insurance premiums are increasing by four percent citywide.

“That’s very good compared to other communities and municipalities,” she said.

A motion was made and approved to prepare healthcare legislation. It’s expected to be on the next agenda.

Council approved a pair of “then and now” invoices presented by Blackmore. One was for $20,958.20 to Young’s Waste for the city’s trash voucher program that was offered in September. The other was for $47,906.50 to Choice One Engineering for engineering services for the Bonnewitz Ave. extension and the Production Drive project.

Three pieces of legislation were approved on their third and final reading:

• An ordinance allowing Safety-Service Director Jay Fleming to live just outside the city limits once his new home is built.
• An ordinance amending sections of an existing ordinance dealing with door-to-door sales.
• An ordinance amending the city’s junk and rubbish law.

As expected, second reading was held for annexation and rezoning requests for approximately 684 acres of of land in Ridge Township adjoining the Mega Site on the city’s north side, and approximately 156 acres of land in Pleasant Township that adjoins the Industrial Park area on the city’s south side. If approved on third and final reading at the next meeting, both would be annexed into the city and rezoned to I-2 General Industrial. The 684 acre site has 25 parcels owned by 20 people, while the 156 acre site is owned by Charles and Barbara Purmort.

Main Street Van Wert Executive Director Mitch Price addressed council and made his annual funding request, $26,500. Price outlined the various programs and offerings offered by MSVW this year and said the organization is trying to increase visibility. Council later granted his request.

Before adjourning, council went into executive session with Van Wert Area Economic Development Corporation Brent Stevens, but no action was taken outside of adjournment.

The next meeting of Van Wert City Council will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday, November 23, in Council Chambers on the second floor of the Municipal Building, 515 E. Main St.