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Century Council Member Says Cut Employee Insurance Costs, Mayor Presents Financial Report
August 7, 2018
A Century council member called for major cuts in health insurance contributions for some town employees due to budget constraints, as Mayor Henry Hawkins presented a financial report showing fund balances of a couple of million dollars Monday night.
The town currently pays 99-percent of the cost of each employee’s insurance, and 78-percent of the dependent cost. Council President Ann Brooks called Monday night for the town to slash all town payments for dependent insurance in order to save money.
“How is that going to effect the lowest paid man with a family?” council member Sandra McMurray Jackson responded.
Brooks said the council needed to make a decision Monday night in order for the accountant to continue work to create next fiscal year’s budget.
“You are giving me 10 minutes to decide one someone’s life,” councilman Ben Boutwell said.
There are currently 16 employees on the town’s health insurance plan. Nine have employee only coverage, while seven have a dependent plan.
The council voted to continue employee coverage with United Healthcare, but took no action on employee insurance costs and employer contributions. Those details will be worked out at a future budget workshop.
Later in Monday night’s meeting, Mayor Henry Hawkins presented an unrelated two-page “Mayor’s Report” indicating fund balances. “I would like to let all of you know of the financial condition of the Town of Century,” the signed report stated.
The report showed $1,054,367 in reserve funds on July 7 and the exact same figure, $1,054,367 in unreserved funds, down about $137,381 from December 31, 2016. He said $172,000 was transferred in May 2017 from a water department reserve fund for lift stations. Hawkins confirmed verbally that the reserve fund and unreserved fund balances were exactly the same on July 7 as presented in his written report.
The second page of the report showed a reserve fund balance of $616,240. The report does not list any liabilities.
To read the mayor’s report, click here (pdf).
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
14 Responses to “Century Council Member Says Cut Employee Insurance Costs, Mayor Presents Financial Report”
Race card= a tired, old card all too often played to detract from the real issues and usually an effort to make an issue an “us against them” matter. How about accountability? How about statements that create unity and trying to fix the problems?
Ann makes a lot more than the people that works with town of century she can afford family insurance and she must not care about the one’s that work there has a dependent plan. She probably make good been on the city council she would not want her pay cut. Just saying. Hope she don’t run for Mayor next go around.
This “report” is some sort of joke, right? There is nothing to indicate where these numbers come from or to support their validity. Here I’ll solve the financial problems right now: Town of Century Operating Funds: $10,000,000,000.00. There ya go, crisis averted.
@former employee: don’t complain about uneducated minds and then type “continuely.”
As a former employee with known attributes to this situation being publicly bashed by uneducated minds & upset citizens. Paperwork is not filed properly or in an orderly manner causing ONE to have been Continuely covered by SUCH insurances even months after leaving THEIR position…AGAIN, js. STOP hiring or keeping friends with other ties beneficial to dirty money. MAYOR has GREAT INTENT, with dishonest back-up BLINDLY due to fake face behavior. Get GOD BACK in this TOWN.
There needs to be a start to fix the problem. Sure changing benefits won’t resolve all the issues, but its a start and an example of wasteful spending.
“How is that going to effect the lowest paid man with a family?” maybe you could loan him the money, Sandra.
I have yet to hear the details of the gas department. If we know the details maybe we can brainstorm on how to save it or sell it. Without providing details the first thing the council offers is to cut employee benefits to help save money but not enough to solve any problems that are existing. Saving money is only half the solution. We need to fix the bleeding. What good is a transfusion if you’re bleeding in a dozen different places? Council needs to get smart. Look at the details of the gas department and it’s expenses and then look at the overall expenses of the town. What can you cut, what can you reduce. The very last thing will be to turn to employee benefits.
Wait!! So they have the money to give a council member a $12,000 loan but have to cut insurance contributions? Fire everyone of these members and start fresh. They don’t have a clue what they’re doing and running a muck
Good job Mr Mayor!! You proved your incompetence in black and white.
This is a joke anyone can see the so called report said assets. If they are doing so good why is the Gas Department 62,000.00 dollars in the hole for the first three months of the year and had to use funds from the garbage account. This is a smoke screen made to look good, Oh how about all the money that has to be paid back to the special revenue account where is that at in the report. All a joke by Henry Hawkins trying to make himself look good.
So they want to cut the level of contribution of seven employees. Is this a joke? This is pennies on the dollar, but if there is a gradual implementation of reduction of employee contributions over the next five years, you might actually be talking about real savings. Why not have the 78 percent contribution rate across the board at about 4% a year reduction in contributions from the taxpayers..
Century needs to think long term budgeting and stop the herky jerky dance of panic.
Cut all cost Shuterdown.
Pitiful…