[This transcript was generated automatically from audio using AI and hasn't been reviewed by a person -- it can contain mistakes, including plausible-sounding sentences that were never actually said. Treat it as a starting point, not a verbatim record.]

[0:03] Good
[0:09] morning. We're holding special meeting and budget workshop, the Leader County Board of
[0:16] County Commission. At this time, I'd like to call on Commissioner, if you're on your
[0:19] highest, lead us in the prayer, Commissioner Desiree Nils, lead us in the prayer. Please
[0:24] stand.
[0:27] Lord, we thank you for this day. We thank you for this rain. We thank you that
[0:31] you're here with us, that you'll help us tend to the business of the county today. And we
[0:36] thank you we're in a free country that we can have these meetings. And everyone has
[0:40] voice. We're just grateful to you. We ask that you be with our first responders, our law enforcement,
[0:47] our military that's in harm's way. Father, be with their families for comfort. We just trust
[0:52] you today to guide and direct our path and Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Please join me in a salute to the
[0:58] flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which
[1:05] to stay in one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
[1:16] Okay, I'd like to ask the clerk to call the roll, please.
[1:23] District one, County Commissioner Charlie Kennedy, Vice Chair.
[1:26] Here.
[1:27] District two, Commissioner Rock-Makes.
[1:28] Here.
[1:29] District three, Desiree Mills.
[1:31] Here.
[1:31] District four, Chairman Tim Hodge.
[1:33] Here.
[1:34] And District five, Commissioner Johnny Hires.
[1:36] Here.
[1:38] All right, approval of the agenda.
[1:40] There's any deletions or modifications need to be made at this time.
[1:44] Mr. Chairman.
[1:45] Yes, I move to approve the agenda that stands.
[1:49] Okay, we've got a motion by Commissioner Desiree Mills,
[1:52] second by Commissioner Rothmeats.
[1:55] All in favor say aye.
[1:56] All opposed.
[1:57] Motion passes.
[2:00] All right.
[2:04] Public comment.
[2:06] Before we go to our first public comment,
[2:08] I'd like to read a few House.
[2:09] keeping rules. Public comment is allowed at the three minutes per person and
[2:14] you will be tied. Each person is allowed one time to speak per item not
[2:18] multiple times. We do not yell from the audience. Each person who wishes to
[2:22] speak will be recognized by the chair, come forward, state your name and complete
[2:26] address for the record. If you have come to speak on a specific item that is on
[2:31] the agenda, it is appropriate to wait until the item is presented to speak. It will
[2:35] be given an opportunity. We will not allow comments or questions to be
[2:39] address your staff. Anyone make the comment should address the board. That, do we have any public comment?
[2:50] All right. So you know, we'll close the first public comment. Go on to our first, uh, business item.
[2:59] Uh, the accounting manager is Maria. Good morning. Good morning.
[3:05] So this morning just before we go in, I wanted to review where we are in the budget process.
[3:10] and what steps we have left to complete the budget.
[3:13] Our agenda for today is to set a proposed military
[3:15] for the purposes of providing notice
[3:17] and setting a public hearing as required by section 200.065
[3:22] floor statutes.
[3:23] And then after that,
[3:24] Ms. Elizabeth will come up to discuss
[3:25] the employee health care contribution.
[3:28] As the budget stands,
[3:30] we are here today in workshop number seven.
[3:32] We then have a meeting on August 25th,
[3:35] where you will see a summary of all the proposed reductions
[3:38] that you requested and have the opportunity to decide which reductions you want to add
[3:42] into the budget and which ones you do not. If we need to add an additional meeting after that,
[3:46] we can certainly do that. Our last two meetings are the public hearings where we do the
[3:51] proposed and then the final milleges. So that gets us right through the budget process but we are
[3:56] on the home stretch. For today's meeting we are here to set the proposed millege. So this is for
[4:03] the purposes of noticing the public hearing and putting that information out. Again, you can
[4:07] And always reduce it after today, but once you set the rate, you cannot go any higher.
[4:12] You will see from the paperwork in front of you that in 2025, the mileage was 9 and
[4:19] 2026, it went to 8.75.
[4:22] So you've got the estimated rollback rate, which is the 7.9 470.
[4:27] What that is is if you wanted to keep it so that you made the exact same amount of revenue
[4:32] as you did last year, not including new construction, that would be your estimated rollback rate.
[4:37] With that, we just need a decision on where you'd like to set it.
[4:40] Mr. Chairman?
[4:41] Yes.
[4:44] Knowing that this is the not the complete, this is just proposed millage.
[4:50] So once we set this amount, it can't go any higher than this, it can go lower but not be higher.
[4:55] I move for the rate to be 8.75, which is the same as last year.
[5:02] Okay.
[5:03] Okay. Well, I have a motion by Commissioner Desiree Mills to lead the raid at 8.75 and a second by Commissioner Charlie Kennedy.
[5:14] Is there any further discussion?
[5:16] Mr. Chairman.
[5:17] Yes, sir.
[5:18] I just want to reiterate so everybody knows Commissioner Mills stated that this is a just a proposal.
[5:24] This is not set in stone.
[5:26] So, public's listening, just you understand that it's not said in stone and it will come back, and we'll make a decision later, but it's just a proposal for now.
[5:37] That's all, thank you.
[5:39] Any further discussion?
[5:43] I just have one thing that I'd like to make mention of.
[5:49] As Johnny just said, this is a preliminary rate set, it is where we're at right now.
[5:57] I would encourage to study up on it at different rates as to where we can bring it back at,
[6:08] because most definitely, I feel like we could, I think we can lower this to a much
[6:20] lower
[6:20] 4% on Millage. So what mean will this be coming back for a final budget that
[6:30] mean to put anybody on the spot?
[6:32] The proposed Millage and tentative budget will come back on 9.8 and then we will do the final vote on 9.22.
[6:42] Okay. I got some ideas just so I'm going to be working with Mary Ellen online.
[6:51] Okay, public having any comment?
[6:57] I'm going to motion my commission to remove the second by commission to Charlie Kennedy.
[7:01] All of the members say aye.
[7:02] Aye.
[7:03] All opposed.
[7:04] Motion passes.
[7:24] Good morning commissioners.
[7:26] Good morning.
[7:26] Good morning.
[7:27] We are here this morning for you to review the proposed health insurance carrier renewal
[7:31] rates for 2026 to 2027 plan here.
[7:35] In advance of determining the percentage that the county will contribute toward employee premiums
[7:40] effective on October 1, 2026.
[7:44] Board approval is requested to establish the employer contribution rates for the group
[7:48] health insurance premiums and the approval of the contributions will ensure that the
[7:53] continuation of health insurance coverage for eligible employees and implementation of
[7:58] the fiscal year 2026 employee benefit programs as budgeted.
[8:03] The information is presented for consideration at the August 3, 2026 meeting in advance
[8:08] of the board voting on the percentage that the county will contribute toward premiums August 4th.
[8:17] Elizabeth, just so I'm clarifying for the other board members, we are not taking vote today.
[8:21] You're given us this information for informational purposes tomorrow to vote tomorrow.
[8:25] Yes. Thank you.
[8:30] Okay, and right now we currently offer three different plans.
[8:34] We have the PPO Blue Options Plan and our HMO Blue Care and the PPO Health Savings Account Plan.
[8:42] If you were to contribute 100%, we have each of the rates if you were to do for blue options employee only at 100%, you're looking at 373,896 dollars.
[9:01] And if you were to do the same employee rate at 100%, the majority of our employees are enrolled in the HMO plan.
[9:08] If you contribute 100%, that's $2,135,280, and for PPO health savings, we have approximately
[9:20] five employees enrolled in that plan.
[9:23] That would be $38,340 at 100%.
[9:29] Now if we look at 95% that does go just slightly down, I'm not sure if you want me to read each
[9:36] one by one or if you'd like to view the rates, whatever you prefer, no need for you to read them.
[9:44] Okay,
[9:51] so that would be at 95% and I believe the year previous you did 85% and this past year was the
[10:01] first year that I've seen for 100% contribution,
[10:10] 90% and
[10:15] 85.
[10:22] Okay, board,
[10:26] one of those,
[10:30] one of those
[10:31] thoughts on the percentage.
[10:36] I'm good. I don't have any questions. Okay.
[10:40] Scene bailouts. Nope.
[10:44] I'm good. I'm good.
[10:48] So
[10:51] that's just going to be on the, uh, gender for tomorrow.
[10:55] Yes, for the meeting for tomorrow. Yeah. Okay.
[10:59] I
[11:03] don't really have nothing.
[11:07] Any questions about any of the plans or anything at all? Okay.
[11:13] All right. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for giving us this information in advance. Oh, no problem. Thank you.
[11:21] Thank you.
[11:23] Do I just turn this off?
[11:24] Okay.
[11:31] Well, you're having a thing to commission having a thing I will say.
[11:37] I do have one thing I want to say. Are we about this item? So that you're asking? Yes. Oh, yeah. No, I'm good.
[11:45] All right, well, if you need any further questions,
[11:54] this meeting will be adjourned.