SEBASTIAN — The vote was split and the discussion intense as the Sebastian City Council denied a motion by Councilman Jim Hill that would have allowed Council members to purchase city employee health insurance.
It was the hot topic at the Aug. 12 Council meeting, as it was last month, when Mayor Richard Gilmor told Council that almost all the city and county governments in the state offer their boards the opportunity to purchase employee health insurance.
“You don’t do this job for the money but, when you have a 300-400-page docket to go through, from my viewpoint, it’s not part-time,” Gillmor said in July. “It’s full time for me. I think (a discussion) is worthwhile – if it doesn’t raise taxes.”
Gillmor said he would not take advantage of such a benefit, however, because he is on Medicare. And he reiterated his opinion at the Aug. 12 meeting.
“I don’t care what the rest of the state does,” Councilwoman Andrea Coy said during last night’s meeting. “To me, it’s a moral issue. None of the other part-time City employees get it.”
Noting again that Council members receive $300 a month for expenses, she said, “There are other options out there. To ask this is ridiculous!”
Gillmor responded.
“Miss Coy, you don’t work this as a part-time job,” he said, praising all the time Coy gives to numerous City projects and told her that, when she opposes the insurance proposal, “You disrespect yourself.”
Hill, who is not running for re-election so he can pursue a seat on the Board of County Commission, said that Sebastian is falling behind the rest of the state and, with Obamacare’s mandatory insurance requirement, “The United States of America has decided everybody should have it available and I think it’s high time to consider it.”
He called arguments against the proposal nothing more than “political posturing,” and argued that Coy and Vice Mayor Jerome Adams labeling it a “perk” was incorrect, since Council members would be purchasing it, not “getting” it.
He dismissed a suggestion that it could be part of the City Charter as “ludicrous!”
Councilman Bob McPartlan took issue with Adams’ comment that providing the opportunity to purchase city insurance could be an incentive to “attract quality people” to Council.
“What’s wrong with the people sitting up here right now?” McParlan asked.
McPartlan stated he considers such a position as “Service Above Self.”
“If we think we should receive (city insurance) we should put it to the voters,” he said. “I don’t think we should vote for ourselves.”
With Gillmor and Hill in favor of the insurance and McPartlan and Coy opposed, Adams found himself on the swing in a 2-2 split.
“My opinion is that (our job) is part-time and does not rise to the level of full-time,” Adams said, casting the third “No” vote, sinking the proposal.
Including Council members in the insurance plan would not have raised taxes, according to the city.
