DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – The Dawson County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to increase by five percent the amount county employees will contribute to their own health insurance plan with Northwest Benefit Corporation.

In the past, the county has paid 85 percent of the cost while employees paid the remaining 15 percent. The plan approved Thursday calls for an 80-20 split.

Commissioners said it was a very difficult decision, but as Commissioner Sharon Fausett put it, “The cost of health insurance is out of control. We need to be fiscally responsible. I don’t want employees to think we take them lightly because we don’t. I appreciate what you do but we have some very difficult decisions to make.”

Commissioner Jimmy Hamby said, “I do understand the cost coming to the county as well as the employees. But we can’t go to the taxpayers every time we need to increase something in the county.”

Commissioner Chris Gaines said, “Experts say the average split is 75-25 so we’re still well beyond what some surrounding counties are doing both in the public and private sector.”

The total cost to the county is just over $3.7 million, an increase of about $527,386 over last year.

Commissioners voted unanimously to allow Ross & Associates to proceed with an update of the 2009 Methodology Report for the Impact Fee implementation. The county contracted with Ross & Associates to create the report in 2002. It was updated in 2006 and again in 2009. The fees were collected through building permits and construction orders. However, impact fees have not been imposed since then.

Once the update is completed, it will come back to the board for final approval.

Commissioners also agreed to accept a $2,063 grant that will allow Director of Treatment Services for the Northeastern Judicial Circuit Debbie Mott to purchase computers, monitors, scanners, printers iPads and laptops for her office. There is no county match required. Georgia Accountability Court Funding Committee was created in 2012 and has provided local courts with critical funding necessary to support the growth of accountability courts in Georgia to reduce the prison population.

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