Bucking the trend of ever increasing premiums for health care, the Highland County Board of Commissioners announced Wednesday that county employees will enjoy a 4 percent reduction in rates in each of the next two years.
Commission president Jeff Duncan said that Medical Mutual of Ohio presented the commissioners with two options; a one-year 8 percent reduction, or a two-year reduction at 4 percent per year.
“I think that with the information that they provided us, taking the two-year 4 percent guarantee is the best deal for the county for a number of different reasons,” commissioner David Daniels said in moving to accept the proposal, which was seconded by vice president Terry Britton.
The reduction will be in effect from Aug. 1, 2021 through July 31, 2023.
A separate, one-year contract was renewed with Superior Dental Care, which Duncan said would maintain its present rates from Aug. 1 2021 through July 31, 2022.
Also Wednesday, it was moved to accept an estimate of $9,615 from Xenia Glass and Lock for the replacement of door locks in the Highland County Administration Building.
“The locks are all wore out in all the doors here in the building,” Duncan said. “The keys and the locks both aren’t working, so they gave us an estimate.”
The company will be replacing the locks on 24 hallway and five bathroom doors, which were originally installed when the building was finished in 1976.
In other matters, four resolutions met with commission approval Wednesday.
Two were line item budget modifications and two authorized the waiving of monthly sewer fees to a pair of properties that were verified as being vacant.
Britton noted that in observance of Independence Day, which is Sunday, all county offices will be closed on Monday, July 5.
Reach Tim Colliver at 937-402-2571.
