Chesterton Tribune

 

 

Hospital interest money eyed to pay county's 2014 health insurance costs

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The Porter County Council will convene for a special meeting on Monday, Dec. 15, at 5 p.m. for the purpose of appropriating funds to cover remaining costs of the county health insurance plan.

The 2014 county budgets passed by the Council underfunded the health insurance.

Porter County Auditor Robert Wichlinski estimates that approximately $3 million or so is needed to close the year.

On the agenda is a recommendation by the County Commissioners to use $2.9 million in interest money generated from the principal of the sale of the Porter Memorial county hospital. The idea to use hospital interest money for health insurance was rejected earlier this year by the Council.

To use the interest money would require a majority vote from both the Council and Commissioners.

Also, the Council’s Budget and Financial Specialist, Vicki Urbanik, told the Chesterton Tribune that a memo had been sent asking county departments to contribute any funds in their budgets they don’t plan to use this year toward health insurance. That has netted $144,094.

Urbanik said she wanted to thank the departments which responded to the call, considering their budgets are tight.

The Commissioners are also willing to transfer approximately $400,000 from unused funds in their budget for insurance.

A significant shortfall was predicted at the beginning of the year as the Council had passed the 2014 budgets aware of the underfunded line item for insurance. “We knew this was going to happen,” said Urbanik.

The Council will meet in Room 205 of the County Administration Building located at 155 Indiana Ave. in Valparaiso.

In other business, the Council will hear a transfer request totaling $50,000 from the Commissioners to cover expenses in power and water and sewage.

There is also a request to appropriate $30,000 in the Zona Wildlife Fund which will be used to purchase a rehabilitation flight cage for the Moraine Ridge Wildlife Center in unincorporated Washington Twp.

The Auditor will make a request to transfer $4,800 for payroll and another $1,248 for a software bill.

 

Posted 12/12/2014

 
 

 

 

 

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