Monday, November 4, 2013

Humboldt County supervisors take on rising health insurance costs: County faces $1.4M in unexpected expenses

Around $1.4 million in unanticipated costs will be discussed at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday during the first quarter budget update for this fiscal year. - Catherine Wong/The Times-Standard

According to a county report, the approximately $303.7 million budget for the 2013-14 fiscal year was developed with the expectation that the California Public Employees' Retirement System, or CalPERS, would increase monthly health insurance rates by around 7.5 percent. Instead, the county's portion jumped from $425.30 to $550.20, or about 29.4 percent, for staff not with the Humboldt Deputy Sheriff's Organization.

The money adds up to $457,000 in unexpected costs to the General Fund and $934,000 to other county funds, totaling just under $1.4 million.

”The good news is that the County ended fiscal year 2012-13 with a $6.8 million General Fund balance,” county Public Information Officer Sean Quincey said in an email .