Local News: Commissioners set flat in

McCOOK, Neb. — After a long discussion with other county officials, Red Willow County Commissioners set a flat payment of $500 a month to county employees who do not use county health insurance.

Previously, the county gave an additional $500 to employees who removed family members from county health insurance, an arrangement put in place in 2017 as an incentive for employees whose spouses were becoming eligible for Medicare.

Chairman Ted Gans said that arrangement made no sense to him — neither he nor his family is on the county health plan, but he could be eligible for $1,000.

Until a few years ago, county employees paid nothing for individual health insurance, and now pay a bargain $100 a month for individuals, $150 for employees and spouses and $200 for a family.

Commissioner Randy Dean pointed out that the county pays about $2,000 monthly to cover each employee.

In other business, commissioners:

— put off action on a request from the Museum of the High Plains Historical Society to help fund roof repairs expected to cost $100,000, with questions about who actually owns the building. Alternately, according to information provided by the society, it could raise its tax levy from .00169 to the maximum of .003 cents per $100 valuation. The current museum levy raises about $41,000 a year.

— approved a $16,960 bid from McCook Floor Covering to carpet the county clerk, treasurer, assessor offices and a break room. DeVries Furniture provided another bid of $21,500. American Rescue Plan Act money will pay for the new carpet.

— put off a decision about using ARPA funds for a body scanner for the jail, as well as new tasers for a cost of $34,872.

— approved declaring eight radiant heaters and 24 windows as surplus property for the fairgrounds. County Fair Manager Jiles Bowman said he would try to have them placed on an auction.

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