Questions for city staff on employee group benefits

City staff is calling on North Bay Council to approve a 6 % increase  with its employee group benefits program.

Councillor Derek Shogren says that works out to an extra $191,000 and he wants to hear more on the proposal from staff before voting on it.

“It’s phrased to council that it’s a great deal. I made the point that if I get a big increase like that I call another provider to see if I can get a better deal. Are there reasons that our insurance rates keep going up so high?  Is there something that we’re adding or something that is costing us more to administer and that is why they’re going up 6 %?.”

At the last council meeting, Shogren moved the item to committee where council can ask staff questions and then if approved it would come back to council for a vote.