Macomb staff recommends hiring Gallagher as benefits broker after RFP; council to vote next Monday

Macomb city staff recommended moving forward with Gallagher as the city’s employee benefits broker and consulting partner after a competitive request for proposals process, and the council placed the recommendation on the agenda for action at next Monday’s meeting.

The recommendation came after an RFP issued April 20, 2026, that produced nine proposals and narrowed to five firms for interview, Administrator Melissa Worley told the Committee of the Whole. Worley asked Gallagher to present its experience and approach to the council.

"I'm a public sector consultant... I'm vice president in this space," said Casey Cameling of Gallagher, who said Gallagher focuses on municipalities, nonprofits and K‑12/higher education clients and would lead the city account. Cameling and colleagues described an approach that begins with claims and plan-data analysis rather than immediate, large-scale benefit changes.

"Our initial approach is to understand the data of the plan — what's driving cost — figure out how we help you set a more predictable budget and then start looking for opportunities to reduce spend and improve benefits for employees," Cameling said. Gallagher officials emphasized they act as a broker and consultant and would not unilaterally change the city's benefit designs.

Chris Byer, a Gallagher consultant who said he has worked on self‑funded health plans for more than 10 years, and Lisa Gould, who handles human capital and communications, outlined tools Gallagher would offer: employee education (videos and monthly newsletters), a one‑stop web portal for plan documents, and a benefits‑administration system (Employee Navigator) to streamline enrollments and carrier feeds.

Gallagher said it will spend the third quarter analyzing the city’s claims and stop‑loss protection to set renewal projections and benchmark pricing so that renewals are grounded in data rather than last‑minute negotiations. The firm offered to provide local client references and said its recent merger with Assured Partners expands its local resources.

Mr. Koker praised staff for the RFP process and said Gallagher "answered a lot of what we are looking for," adding the council will ask for approval next Monday so Gallagher can begin preparations for renewal work. Staff also scheduled two employee meetings to inform staff about the process and next steps.

The council did not take a final vote at the committee meeting; the recommendation is scheduled for formal action at the full City Council meeting next Monday.