Council Members Vote to Keep Better Benefits Than City Staff

The City Council decided Monday not to reduce council members' health benefits despite a city commission's recommendation to do so.

Council members are eligible for more robust coverage than others who work for the city. The city Social & Economic Justice Commission made a recommendation to the council in July that council members should not be eligible for increased coverage for a special family plan that costs the city more money.

Two different family plans are at the center of the debate: City staff get coverage for Kaiser plans, but council members can elect to receive more expensive coverage through Blue Shield. City staff can get Blue Shield, but must pay the difference. Council members, on the other hand, have the full premium covered by the city.

The Social & Economic Justice Commission indicated it would like to see a change in this offering in time for the current open enrollment period, which runs through Oct. 8.

According to the staff report prepared for Monday night's meeting, the monthly premium for the Kaiser family plan is $1,479 in 2011, compared with $1,756 for Blue Shield.

Which health plans council members actually have has not been released due to privacy concerns but, according to the staff report, the city could save up to $16,618 in 2011 if all council members currently use the Blue Shield family plan, and if the council had voted to cap benefits with the Kaiser plan. 

Councilman Robert Lieber pointed out that council members receive just $5 per meeting and that there's no reason they should have the same coverage as city employees. 

"We are not employees of the city of Albany," he said. "We are the elected representatives of the people of Albany. We are compenstated by the city with health care plans and no more than $25 a month."

Lieber said this has been the case for 80 years. He acknowledged a significant raise coming in December, but added that the council still will be paid less than many in the state.

In 2008, Albany voters approved a salary adjustment for council members to bring them more in line with others around the state. Beginning in December, they will receive $300 per month for their service. 

As part of July's discussion, the council asked city staff to look at other councils in Northern California to see how compensation and benefits compared. According to the report, many council members receive higher compensation. Some receive better benefits than regular employees, though many do not. Some have pension plans and retirement plans.

The list is not broken down by population size so it was difficult to make direct comparisons. 

But Albany is one of just five cities on the list of nearly 60 to have better benefits than city staff. Nine of those cities provide council members no health benefits at all.

Social & Economic Justice Commissioner Brian Parsley told the council that voting to have the same coverage would "create equity within the entire city." He took issue with the idea some council members do not consider themselves city staff.

"You are employees, and everyone in this room is your employer," he said. "Most of you have governed on a progressive agenda, and I don't believe having the council have better health care than those that it oversees is a progressive agenda."

After speaking in favor of making the change to have coverage capped at a lower level, Councilwoman Peggy Thomsen made a motion to vote on the matter.

Before the council could vote, Lieber immediately made a second motion not to take action on health coverage. Thomsen and Vice Mayor Farid Javandel opposed Lieber's motion.

But Councilwoman Marge Atkinson and Mayor Joanne Wile voted with him, which put an end to the conversation.

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