A routine yearly renewal of insurance for county employees prompted discussion among Ellijay City Councilmembers at a Sept. 18 council meeting.
In a workshop that preceded the meeting, Mayor Al Hoyle and councilmembers Sandy Ott, Tom Crawford, Katie Lancey, Al Fuller and Kevin Pritchett heard an update on the 2024 insurance renewal rates for city employees from Tommy Hayes, a representative of insurance broker MSI Benefits Group.
Hayes said the city’s total health insurance costs have increased by almost 19 percent from last year. That amounts to almost $34,000 more, with the total cost expected to be $212,688 for the coming year.
Hayes said the rates offered by Georgia Municipal Association are still below what’s offered by several large insurance companies.
“There’s really not anything that could get even close to what this renewal was, even with the 19 percent increase,” he added. “(That’s) still below average for what we’re seeing in other cities around the state.”
Before voting on the item during the council meeting that followed, Crawford, himself an insurance agent, said high rate increases like these aren’t sustainable for the city.
“We may be in a spot where we have to move forward this year, but we’ll have to look at this. In three short years, we’re looking at $27,000 a year per employee for health insurance,” he added. “I think the city needs to take a look at this going forward. There may be some other options.”
Fuller said he was also “pretty shocked” at the rate increases.
“It’s a lot of money,” he added.
Lancey and Ott expressed that they were instead surprised that the rate increase wasn’t higher.
“I’m flabbergasted that they’re as low as they are,” Lancey said.
The council ultimately voted to keep the same coverage despite the increase. Hoyle and Lancey said there have been some years where the rates didn’t increase or even went down slightly.
“It’s not a trend for it to go up that much,” Hoyle said.
In other news …
Richard Holt, who’s among a team of people helping to clear kudzu and do cleanup at some local cemeteries including the Ellijay City Cemetery, gave an update on how a proposed roundabout at Legion Road and Old Highway 5 could affect a small family cemetery near the intersection.
The roundabout, currently being looked into by the city, won’t interfere with the cemetery itself, which is farther away from the intersection, Holt noted. From the way the plans look, it would interfere with a small road leading to the cemetery, he added.
“The ramp going off the traffic circle going south (would) take out the entrance to the cemetery. The folks working with the state need to know that’s not an abandoned driveway. (It) seems like the project needs to include a new driveway,” Holt said.
Hoyle said the city and those working on the roundabout project are aware of the cemetery and the road to it.
Councilmembers also approved:
﹣ An on-premise consumption license for beer, wine and distilled spirits for The Falls at Blue Ridge, 1654 Old Northcutt Road.
﹣ A setback variance for construction of a carport at 108 Lucille Avenue.