Hill County Commission Tables Health Insurance Decision During Heated Meeting – Hi-Line Today – Hi-Line Today

HAVRE, Mont. (NMB) – More than 20 Hill County employees packed the County Commissioner’s office at the Courthouse on Thursday during their weekly business meeting to voice their unanimous dissent against potentially having to pay increased healthcare costs.

At issue is the fact that the health insurer County employees use, the Montana Association of Counties (MACo), is increasing rates 6.5 percent.

In the end, after more than an hour of discussion, the Commission unanimously tabled the issue and plans to bring it back up at next week’s business meeting, which will come just hours before the end of the month deadline.

The Hill County Insurance Committee has recommended that the increased cost, which is expected to be a total of around $90,000 over a year, be absorbed by the County.

However, employees say if they have to bear the increase, they may be having to pay anywhere from $37 to hundreds of dollars a month, which many say they simply can’t afford.

In fact, when one employee asked for a show of hands of who is making over $50,000 per year, the only person that raised their hand was Sheriff Jamie Ross, who has been with the County for over three decades.

“It’s disheartening as an employee who has been here for a long time to know that historically, we’ve given up raises so we can keep the premium and have the insurance, and we kept our end of the deal,” Ross said. “Yeah, we’ll keep working. We’ll work really hard for the citizens of Hill County. Only to find out that years later, not to the fault of the Commission, that there’s talk about increasing premiums for employees.”

Clerk and Recorder Sue Armstrong said the vast majority of the increase could be covered through their permissive levy, and the additional cost to taxpayers next year would likely be less than $3 on a $100,000 home.

The Commission has been hesitant to agree to this and had suggested the employees may have to cover the cost.

This led to a tense and contentious meeting in which employees from numerous departments aired grievances and called for better communication, with some saying they don’t believe they have the Commission’s support.

“It’s a huge struggle for me, is the fact that there was no increase two years ago, but we were going after the employees’ insurance,” said Road Department employee Shane Huston, referring to the controversy from 2020 in which the Commission pondered increasing health insurance costs employees have to pay. “So it is a struggle to sit here today. Ok, the price of insurance has gone up, but it didn’t go up two years ago, and we were gunning to take it away from us, we were gunning for us to pay more. And I do struggle with that. That basically tells me that nobody really cares about me. We care about the $7 (annual tax increase) or whatever it was, that 14-other-thousand people in Hill County were going to save.”

“The Commission is curious about the opinion of employees, (but) I was never approached by any of the Commissioners for what my thoughts were,” added Hill County Sheriff Deputy Alex Esteves. “I had to come to you with a letter opposing the increase. Not once was I stopped in the hallway, not once was I (asked) ‘hey, what are your thoughts on this.’ This is an issue before the Commission that affects you as an employee. And I think that’s disheartening. And I can’t speak for everyone in this room, but I would assume the majority opinion in here and those other employees that are still sitting at their desks. Not one Commissioner approached them and asked them what their opinion was. We had to come to you guys to express our displeasure with having to absorb these costs as employees.”

Another employee said the first time they heard about the increase was when they saw a comment on a Havre Facebook group earlier this month.

Mark Peterson was the Commissioner that spoke most, having several back-and-forth conversations with employees. When the meeting started, he said he had not made up his mind. Towards the end of the meeting, he indicated he was leaning towards having the county bear the cost increase.

“I do appreciate everybody’s thoughts, even though they might be somewhat hurtful. But an individuals that trust in themselves, and I need to understand that. And so please don’t feel afraid to call me and talk to me.”

“I think after what I’ve heard today, and the conversations that I’ve had, that I’m going to support it,” Peterson said a few minutes later when pressed by an employee.

When asked directly, Commissioner Jake Strissel said he is likely to side with the employees. He added that the four local taxpayers that have reached out to him were supportive of the idea.

“My thoughts on this is listening to everybody, getting the letters, looking at it and talking with the number crunchers and (Treasurer) Sandy (Brown) and Sue (Armstrong), if we can absorb this cost, I think we should go for (it),” said Strissel. “I have no doubt in my mind. I think it’s doing right by our employees, like Mr. Esteves said. 88 people putting up the money for us is a lot bigger number than 15,000 throughout the entire county.”

When asked directly by an employee during the meeting, Commission Chair Diane McLean sidestepped the question, instead saying that “this feels like an attack” and adding she has not had time to research the issue because she has been busy.

“I have not been in the office for three days because my grandkids drove 250 miles to spend their spring break with me,” said McLean. “And I feel like this feels like an attack. So there’s how I feel. There’s how I feel right now, that’s all I have to say.”

Many employees in the room took exception to that remark, including Huston. That led to the following exchange:

Huston: The fact of the matter is is that we’re all taxpayers. And we certainly have the right to be here. To be real honest with you, I feel that virtually everyone standing in this room kind of feels attacked by the Hill County employers…

McLean: Really?

Huston: Yah. Yes.

McLean: Attacked?

Huston: Yes.

McLean: See, that mistrust that…

Huston: It’s coming out of my pocket. This went on two years ago and there was no increase. So yes, do I feel attacked? Yes, it’s my livelihood! It’s my livelihood, Diane! So I think that goes both ways. It’s like what I told, when I talked to the media. I would prefer to climb in my blade, go to work, and not have to worry about whether or not somebody is going to take something out of my pocket when I’m not getting rich doing this job to begin with.

McLean: I will just say, this is probably the first of many, many really hard decisions that come before this desk. And I would appreciate if you would have a little bit of concern and thought for the people that have to make those decisions. Because we live here, too. And yes, I have heard from taxpayers. What do you say to the senior citizen who is on a fixed income, whose gas prices have gone up, whose grocery prices have gone up? And then they look at you and say ‘You’re going to increase my taxes?’ There are many, many people out here in our community who are in that boat, too.

“You need to know that we aren’t against you,” McLean said later in the meeting. “We are not against our own employees. How stupid would that be? That accusation really cuts me.”

The conversation continued on for several minutes, turning to issues of transparency and communication. At one point, Brandi Williams, the Health Department’s Disease Intervention Specialist, chimed in on McLean’s claim that she felt ‘attacked.’

Williams: As publicly elected officials, I don’t see how it’s acceptable to be taking it personally when you put this out there. You have a forum with employees. This is for you to listen to our input. This is not (an) attack on individuals, but you signed up for this. To listen to our opinions.

McLean: We’re listening.

Williams: But why would anyone want to come to you if you say you feel attacked? Why would anyone feel comfortable?

McLean: *counting the number of employees in the room* one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight…

Health Director Kim Berg: You could have a lot more in here, Diane…

McLean: *still counting* 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19…

Cortney Detrick, Health Department Program Assistant: I can’t speak for everybody at the Health Department, but I know that I don’t feel any support working for the Health Department from any of you guys. Any of you!

Another Health Department employee: I will second that.

McLean: *finishing up the count* 25!

Detrick: And I don’t even think you guys even know what we do?!

Armstrong: Diane, they are here to give their opinion. They are not attacking you.

Members of the Insurance Committee in attendance said they will be working to shop around for more affordable plans for health insurance for 2023-24.

They added that they were not made aware of the impending increase until a few weeks ago, and asked the Commission when they were first aware. Peterson said sometime in early March, but McLean interjected and said they were actually notified in February.

“Nobody blames the Commission for the increase,” said Ross. “But how this is handled matters. And I believe the proposal for the County to absorb the cost and to put the Insurance Committee on finding a possible cheaper health plan is an appropriate solution to this issue.”