County flags 25% health‑insurance increase and two upcoming union negotiations

Reed said the county faces two upcoming union negotiations that will influence wage and benefits assumptions in department budgets. He told the committee health‑insurance projections from the provider show a potential 25% premium increase next year and that the estimated dollar impact could be nearly a half‑million dollars across the county.

Committee members noted the compounding effect of wage increases on benefits and emphasized the health‑insurance committee’s work to explore alternate providers or cooperative purchasing options to minimize premium growth. Reed said the county participates in a municipal co‑op that spreads risk and negotiating power across local governments but cautioned final premium figures and plan design may vary before adoption.