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Politics & Government

No Change to County Board Members' Health Insurance

Push for future county board members to pay full insurance premiums if they elect to use the county's plans failed.

An effort by out-going Kendall County board members to have future county board members pay the full premium for their health insurance failed Tuesday.

Finance Committee Chair Anne Vickery pushed for the change, as county board members presently can choose medical benefits at rates similar to those offered other county employees. The proposed change would have gone into effect on Dec. 1.

“I never looked at this position on the board as a financial gain, that’s for sure,” Vickery said, adding that she expects the county’s budget only will get tighter in the next few years.

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Vickery criticized Yorkville officials for borrowing $400,000 from the county to fund its portion of the while budgeting upward of $150,000 for .

But other county board members emphasized that the insurance was an important benefit for elected officials, who dedicate a sizeable amount of time attending meetings and talking with constituents.

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“It gets to a certain point where it costs you money to be on this board,” member Jeff Wehrli said. “I hope we don’t reach this point.”

Meanwhile, board member Nancy Martin said the proposal allowed future board members to purchase the policy without costing the county any money.

“You will still be able to have a very good policy; it will just save the taxpayers money,” Martin said.

she said medical benefits cost $87,734 for eight board members; her calculations included $12,914 for John Purcell, whose family is covered by his wife, Jackie, a county coroner’s office employee. County board members John Shaw and Martin do not use the county medical benefits.

The cost, per official, for other board members are:

H.D. "Bob" Davidson

 $16,560

Jeff Wehrli

 $14,123

Anne Vickery

 $9,359

Jessie Hafenrichter

 $9,044

Dan Koukol

 $9,044

Suzanne Petrella

$9,044

Elizabeth Flowers

 $7,647

Total

 $74,821

But a motion to charge future board members the full premium failed 4-6, with outgoing board members Flowers, Martin, Petrella and Vickery supporting it. A motion to maintain the current medical insurance arrangement passed 7-3, with Martin, Petrella and Vickery voting against it.

At least half the county board will be nonincumbents after the November election. Three incumbents—Martin, Flowers and Hafenrichter—did not seek re-election, while Petrella and Vickery failed to earn Republican nominations in the March primary.

On Tuesday, the county board considered several other minor changes, but largely kept their compensation packages intact. State law requires them to make any changes at least six months before the new term starts Dec. 1.

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