Commissioners Renew County Insurance Plan

June 20, 2019 - The Shelby County Commissioners renewed the county insurance plan during their recent meeting Wednesday, June 19, 2019.

Clint Porterfield, Shelby County Auditor, described for the commissioners the changes occurring with county health insurance.

"We have a 4% increase in Shelby County's renewal rate. Overall, I will tell you, that's about a $33,000 increase in our health insurance cost countywide for the next year," said Porterfield.

Porterfield said in the previous year it was a 7% increase, and the health insurance pool actually has done better.

"They're anticipating hopefully it'll be steady next year," said Porterfield.

He outlined the new rates for the county with the employee only rate for the county having previously been $656 a month and increasing to $682. Porterfield stated there are no changes to the plan, or to the waiting period for getting on the plan. Everything else remains the same from the previous year.

A motion carried to approve the renewal of the Texas Association of Counties group health insurance for the 2020 plan year.

Roscoe McSwain, Precinct 1 Commissioner, explained he has a residual balance of $100,000 for a Cat loader 926M and for Precinct 2 to make a final lease payment after refinancing the remaining balance of his Cat maintainer.

"I've been leasing a 140M Road Grader for $15,000 a year and I've decided that I'm going to pay the $15,000, it's due now and then I'm gonna purchase a machine," said Jimmy Lout, Precinct 2 Commissioner.

Lout stated the machine he is purchasing will be financed at a 3.65 interest rate and he'll be putting $50,000 down on the purchase. After that he will be making payments of over $58,000 a year for three years.

"I called one of the local banks here and theirs was higher," said Lout. 

Roscoe McSwain, Precinct 1 Commissioner, said the Cat loader is turning three years old July 4.

"My final lease payment's $18,000, that's not in my budget. I will be taking $100,000 out of my fixed assets to pay off the remaining balance," said McSwain.

That way, he explained, there won't be any need to refinance.

A motion carried to move forward with those contracts.

The commissioners were scheduled to consider sealed bids relating to remodeling of the Juvenile Probation building on Nacogdoches Street in Center.

Charles Barr, Precinct 3 Commissioner, and Tom Bellmyer, Precinct 4, Commissioner, met with two contractors planning to bid on the project and Barr stated they spent around three hours touring the location to go over the needs of the building.

Both of ther contractors needed additional time to put together their figures on the proposed job.

The project would make the building so it can accomadate the Juvenile Probation Department and the office of Justice of the Peace for Precinct 1.

To allow additional time for the current bidders and to allow time for additional prospective bidders to submit, a motion carried to extend the bidding for an additional week.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:42am.

Agenda items approved during the meeting include:

1. Pay weekly expenses.
2. Renewal of the Texas Association of Counties group health insurance for the 2020 plan year.
3. Pct. 1 Commissioner to payoff Cat loader 926M, and Pct. 2 to make final lease payment and to refinance remaining balance on Cat Maintainer.
4. Extend the time to accept sealed bids by one week for remodeling the Juvenile Probation building.
5. Adjourn at 9:42am