The proposal involves an amendment to the 2010 tentative budget that would affect the benefits and salaries of board members.
“There’s been a lot of talk about our benefits and they way that they’re handled,” Chairman John Becker said.
If approved, the free health insurance, which is optional, would end. In exchange, supervisors would receive a $7,442 increase in annual salary and could opt to buy back health and dental plans from the county.
In addition, the free lifetime health insurance to supervisors who serve 10 or more years in office will be eliminated. The proposal will be phased out following the new supervisors taking office in January 2010. Current supervisors and the 15 past supervisors who receive the coverage will still be eligible.
The board estimates that if the retiree health insurance proposal had been in effect previously, the county would have saved approximately $76,000 per year, based on the 15 retired supervisors currently receiving the health benefits.
In other business, the board:
- Established a $33,862 salary for a new employee of the county’s sewer district for 2010
- Created a part-time work program crew leader position in the department of solid waste and sanitation
- Authorized the chairman to enter into an agreement with Auctions International for the sale of six Madison Transit System Buses
- Placed the office of Madison County Historian under the administrative control of the Madison County Clerk.
The third public hearing on the 2010 tentative budget is Dec. 4 at 10:15 a.m.
