Council Reinstates Lifetime Healthcare Benefits

Near the end of a long council meeting on Nov. 17, the council voted 3-1 to reinstate lifetime medical benefits for council members who complete their third term after reaching age 50 (voting in favor: MacLean, Ury, Kelley; against: Ledesma; absent: Reavis). Six months ago, the council voted 5-0 to end such benefits. The motion made by Ury in May appeared to be aimed at Reavis before she decided not to seek a third term.

During the Nov. 17 discussion, Ledesma pressed city administrator Irwin Bornstein to tell what the benefits would cost. Bornstein estimated $257,000 for each council member who qualified. Thus far, only former councilman Bill Craycraft has qualified.

By the time members of the audience made public comments, it was nearly 11 p.m. Only two people spoke; perhaps they were the only ones still in the audience. Both opposed the motion, saying council members don’t merit such benefits for part-time service.

Aside from Reavis not running for reelection, what changed the minds of MacLean, Ury and Kelley? Kelley on Nov. 17 couldn’t come up with a logical reason, but she pushed to restore the benefits. With Ury and MacLean reversing their earlier decisions, perhaps the tactic against Reavis was no longer needed. Kelley already has healthcare benefits paid by taxpayers (through her husband’s military service), and she receives a check each month for $825 from the city for opting out of its healthcare plan. If voters decide in 2010 to reelect Kelley, she would receive such checks for life.

In October, council members raised their pay from $500 to $1,000 a month (in favor: MacLean, Ury, Kelley and Ledesma; against: Reavis). Any objection from the public isn’t so much the amount of time they put into the job as how badly they do it.

MacLean told his unemployment tale of woe to the Or. Co. Register on Nov. 5, and the reporter referred to him as the county’s only unemployed council member. Several blog readers quickly responded, “What about Ury?” MacLean and Ury both appear to be unemployed. Prior to giving themselves a raise, these council members said the amount was inappropriate for what they did. Taxpayers should agree it’s now twice as inappropriate.

For Kelley, the part-time council job morphed into a full-time one. She mentioned during Monday’s meeting that she’d been at city hall Monday through Friday of the prior week. Why? Council members have little function in city hall except to attend meetings. When Kelley voted for herself as mayor in January, she explained she was uniquely qualified because she had nothing else to do. Parkinson’s Law finds that work expands to fill the time available. Incompetence apparently expands at the same rate.

The council members don’t deserve lifetime healthcare benefits for part-time work no matter how many years they serve, and their job performance doesn’t warrant a pay increase. They can continue to line up three votes for almost any gift they wish to give themselves because some residents on Nov. 4 decided to give Ury another four-year term.

By the end of the Nov. 17 meeting, both the city attorney and city manager stated that the healthcare item came back to the council because they were concerned Reavis would sue the city for not giving her lifetime healthcare benefits, regardless of her not qualifying. Residents who tune into the next council meeting just might hear a response from Reavis on that one.