P-0480 - Commissioners Compensation-Benefits-Travel - 04-05-2005-5j

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• 26, 2004 includes a second 2.5 percent service based salary increase for employees with four or more years County service as of April 14, 2003.. As written the policy would link salary adjustments for Commissioners to any general increases granted employees, unless the Board instructed staff differently. This is similar to the action taken by the Town of Chapel Hill. For example, the Attachment 1 revision to the Board's policy would extend the same service based salary increases as those provided to County employees to County Commissioners. Because any such adjustment must be adopted through the Budget Ordinance for 2003-04, the proposed effective date for the equivalent of the 2.5 percent service based increase granted employees in April 2003 through Phase 1 Classification and Pay Study implementation is July 1, 2003. The second service based increase would be linked to the effective date for Phase 2 Classification and Pay Study implementation for employees. Health Insurance Continuation Policy At its May 8, 2002 meeting, the Board of Commissioners amended the Board's policy on "County Contribution for Commissioners Benefits" to provide that a County Commissioner may continue to participate in the County's group health insurance at the end of the Gommissioner's • term in office by the Commissioner paying the full cost for such health insurance coverage. Prior to that action, Orange County provided health insurance benefits for County Commissioners, but such coverage ended with the end of the Commissioner's term in office with the option to continue coverage under the Federal COBRA law for up to 18 months by the Commissioner paying the full cost. Attachment 2 is a proposed amendment to the Board's policy that would provide that, if the Commissioner has served at least two four-year terms in office, the County would make the same contribution for the Commissioner's health insurance coverage that it makes for an employee who retires from Orange County with 10 or more years service as a permanent employee. Under current retiree health insurance policy, this means that the County would pay: • 100 percent of the cost for employee only coverage and a dependent subsidy for dependent coverage under the County's group health insurance. • At age 65 when Medicare becomes the primary insurer, 100 percent of the cost for Medicare Supplement coverage, not to exceed the amount contributed for employee only coverage for current employees. At the request of the Board, Personnel surveyed surrounding cities and counties as to their handling of Commissioner/Council members' health insurance coverage at term end. Attachment 3 summarizes the survey results. Of the eight cities and counties surveyed who offer health insurance coverage to Commissioners/Council members, four (Alamance, Chapel Hill, Dufiam and Wake Counties) as well as Orange County offer a heath insurance • continuation option in addition to COBRA: Alamance provides for continuation of group health coverage after two terms (eight years) with the Commissioner paying 50 percent of the cost.