MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. — Nearly 300 retired Mecklenburg County employees burdened by a budget mistake they say the county made are now finally being heard.
"When I got that letter in the mail, my heart sank," Karen Hefner, a former Mecklenburg County employee who retired in 2015, said.
Back in April of this year, retirees were notified that their dependents’ monthly premiums on medical insurance were never meant to be covered by the county.
"We’re kind of taxed out," Gary Marshall, a retiree who used to work for Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation, said. "We were kind of hoping to get to the sunset of our lives and everything, it’d be covered."
Now the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners is reversing course so retirees don't have to come up with money for the premiums that had been taken care of for years.
A motion was passed Wednesday night that allows eligible retirees to pay the same amount for dependent coverage as current employees for the 2024 plan year.
During this time, there will also be a comprehensive review of the current benefit policy.
"While important to the 289 recurrent retirees impacted by this lack of clarity, it is critically important to the 1,564 active employees that are eligible to receive this benefit in the future," Mecklenburg County Manager Dena Diorio said.
Commissioners also agreed to bring in outside help: an independent attorney who specializes in benefits, an auditor, and the county's human resources advisory council.
"There’s just so many different aspects to this and I want to make sure that we’re not missing anything," Susan Rodriguez-McDowell, county commissioner for District 6, said.
The board wants to make sure an oversight like this doesn’t happen again.
"I hope that in the future, that when we’re gonna deal with a critical issue that involves workers, or people whom we love, who we say we love, and we vote for budgets to take care of our people, that we do the right thing," Vilma D. Leake, county commissioner for District 2, said.
The board agreed to send out a notice to retirees next week about the new dependent coverage and give two weeks for open enrollment.
Contact Destiny Richards at drichards5@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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