County Explores Multiple Solutions as Benefits Expenses Climb
Shoshone County officials gathered Thursday at the courthouse to address a mounting pressure on the county budget: a 12 percent increase in employee health insurance costs that will add nearly $270,000 to annual expenses. The brainstorming session brought together commissioners and County Clerk Lori Osterberg to evaluate potential changes to wages, bonuses, and benefit structures before the county finalizes its budget in early September.
No decisions were made during the Thursday meeting, but the discussion surfaced several options the county is now weighing. Among the proposals: allowing employees to decline insurance coverage in exchange for a monthly payment, limiting insurance plans to individual employees only, implementing a 2 percent cost-of-living adjustment, and raising wages to align with industry standards identified in a recent wage study.
Specific Proposals on the Table
Commissioner Dave Dose suggested a plan to let county employees opt out of the insurance program and receive a monthly stipend instead. “We need some ways to save money or make money. This isn’t the first time this idea has come up. I think we should seriously consider it,” Dose said. Such a move could yield more than $100,000 in savings, according to preliminary analysis.
County Clerk Lori Osterberg proposed a more restrictive approach: offering health insurance to individual employees only, eliminating spouse and dependent coverage. The move could save the county approximately $1.9 million annually. Currently, 78 of the county’s 121 insured employees are enrolled in plans beyond single coverage, with monthly premiums ranging from $758.18 for individual coverage to $1,902.64 for family plans.
On the wage front, commissioners and Osterberg expressed support for raising salaries to match industry standards identified in the recent study. Bringing county positions into alignment with market rates would require roughly $42,000 in additional funding. The officials also voiced support for providing a 2 percent cost-of-living adjustment—a step the county has not taken in four years—at a cost of approximately $120,000.
Osterberg also raised the idea of offering bonuses in lieu of insurance benefits for employees who prefer additional cash over coverage. “It works for both groups of employees. We seem to have those two camps; the ones who want their benefits and the ones who would rather have more cash to pay their bills,” she noted.
Next Steps and Timeline
Before moving forward on any option, the county plans to consult with its insurance provider, survey employees about their preferences, and review wage scales and budget figures in detail. The goal is to have a solution in place before the budget is formally adopted in early September.
The wage study findings that prompted the wage discussion underscore a broader challenge facing the county. Many county positions are paid below what comparable roles earn in the regional job market, a gap that could make recruitment and retention more difficult over time.
The county’s four-year freeze on cost-of-living adjustments reflects the budget pressures that have accumulated. The 12 percent insurance increase represents a significant new burden on an already constrained budget, making the Thursday discussion one of necessity rather than preference.
As the county evaluates options, officials will need to balance competing priorities: controlling costs for taxpayers, maintaining competitive compensation to attract and retain qualified employees, and preserving the health and retirement benefits that are central to county employment.
The county previously expanded holiday pay benefits and loosened vacation carryover rules for employees, demonstrating a willingness to adjust benefit structures when budget conditions allow.
What Comes Next
County leadership will spend the next several weeks gathering employee input and refining the financial analysis on each option. A decision is expected before the board adopts the final county budget in early September. The outcome will shape employee compensation and the county’s fiscal outlook for the coming year.