McDonough County Board Chairman Scott Schwerer said Wednesday he believes half the money collected from the first installment of property tax payments could be distributed to local taxing bodies next week.  Schwerer spoke to members of the board’s finance committee.

  The chairman gave the committee his compliments on its work so far on the 2009 county budget.  "I’m quite pleased how it came together," said Schwerer.

  "County officeholders have bottom-lined things pretty well," added committee chair Alice Henry.  She said employee raises next year will range from three to five per cent.

  County Board administrative coordinator Beth Crossett will work with Henry to calculate estimated county revenue in the upcoming year. 

"The dollar amount of tax exemptions has increased," Henry said.  "What we don’t know is the number of people who will file for exemptions."

  County employees may see an increase on their monthly health insurance premiums.  The committee will make a recommendation in October.

  Two scenarios were discussed this week:  a seven per cent increase in individual premiums and a 3.5 per cent increase in family premiums, or a ten per cent increase in individual premiums and a five per cent increase in family premiums.

  Schwerer said he favors the ten per cent hike as a hedge against future inflation.  The county pays the cost of individual employee insurance.  A 3.5 per cent hike in family premiums would hike the total employee cost to about $988 dollars per month.

  "Plan funding needs to keep up with inflation," said county insurance agent Keith Krohe. 

  He said medical inflation is now running between eight and 12 per cent.  County insurance is up for renewal at the end of this year, and Krohe said he will submit ten months’ worth of claims data at the end of the month in an attempt to solicit bids.
 

 Krohe said fixed costs of the county insurance plan have increased from $248,000 last year to nearly $273,000 this year.  But he said claims have decreased to $911,000 this year, compared to $1.14 million last year.

 The agent estimated net insurance costs for the county at $1.45 million this year, a $90,000 decrease compared to the $1.54 million spent last year.