Originally published June 23 2005
Utah city council members mull health benefits for part time employees
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
A meeting of the Taylorsville City Council discussed whether or not to use $13,000 in budget money to give themselves medical benefits, as some other Utah city councils do, the Salt Lake Tribune reports.
Taylorsville City Council members are scheduled to hold a public hearing Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. to consider using $13,000 in their 2005-06 budget to fund partial benefits for themselves.
"Our tentative budget would provide for health and medical benefits for council members as though they were full-time employees," Laurie Harvey, Midvale's finance director, said Monday.
On June 21, the Midvale City Council will finalize its budget and vote on city-funded council benefits.
They [council members] have the option when they come on to have those deducted from their pay.
Comprehensive data are not available from the Utah League of Cities and Towns.
"We don't track that information so I don't know what other cities are doing in terms of benefits," said ULCT budget analyst Kerri Nakamura.
Sandy's council members, although part-time, qualify for medical and dental coverage as if they were full-time city employees.
"Medical benefits are fully paid as far as single coverage," said Sonya Crouch, the city's human resource officer.
We feel that full-time employees get those kinds of benefits and council members are part-time and don't qualify," said Draper Mayor Darrell Smith.
Like the Draper council, Smith is part-time and gets no health insurance through the city.
West Valley City also treats its seven-member council like full-time employees when it comes to medical and dental insurance, with the city picking up 80 percent of the tab.
But the city offers no dental benefits.
"The council ultimately has the authority to establish rules and regulations in this regard," said Bountiful City Manager Tom Hardy.
"Several years ago they decided that [medical insurance] would be an eligible benefit and there's been no discussion since then."
Bountiful's benefits also fluctuate with the makeup of the City Council.
"If the council member is retired, they are not eligible for our medical benefits because they get Medicare," Hardy said.
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