Council health care, again, takes center stage

Jim Bagby doesn’t want Destin’s taxpayers footing the bill for elected officials health care and says it might even be unlawful.

“I personally believe this violates our city charter against compensation,” the councilman told his colleagues during Monday night’s city council meeting.

As it currently stands, elected officials may select coverage under the city’s medical plan on a cost-share basis, which in 2011 cost the city $37,700. Monday’s decision was whether or not to “grandfather” in the current seated council, allowing them to keep coverage until Oct. 31, 2016 as the cost-share portion of the plan was phased out.

The coverage would still be available after the 2016 deadline for whoever chose to enroll in the program, they would just have to pay 100 percent of the premium.

“I don’t want to punish the people who have availed themselves of this benefit,” Bagby said. “This is a mechanism to get us from some of us getting compensated through people’s tax money to none of us getting compensated through people’s tax money.”

Councilman Dewey Destin, who is terming out in March, wasn’t a fan of the proposal and said it didn’t make much sense to depart with one of the only “incentives” the city provided to someone who would consider running for city council.

“We are going to save money, but we are already buying iPads and other things,” he said. “I think this is a mistake.”

Basically, Destin said that if the city wants nothing but older, retired folks on the council, then this was the right way to go.

While he also wanted to “see us off the taxpayer’s dime,” Councilman Jim Wood said he wouldn’t support the change because some people would be on the plan and others not.

There are currently three councilmember’s participating in the health care plan, according to the city.

When the proposal hit the floor, the council voted the changes down 3-2, with councilmembers Tom Weidenhamer, Wood and Destin voting against and Larry Hines absent. Sandy Trammell and Bagby cast the yes votes.

Although the vote didn’t go in his favor Monday, Bagby said the issue isn’t dead and he would bring it back up when the council discusses the budget, in an attempt to get this “line item zeroed out.”

“If I have to, I’ll go out and get an attorney’s opinion on whether or not this is compensation,” he said.