Manning City Council to get Retirement Benefits

The members of Manning City Council will have access to health insurance and retirement benefits starting spring 2018. This decision was made recently. A few people have shown their displeasure with the decision. They argue that the decision should be taken when it is to be implemented rather than 2 years before. Some even stated that people should have a say on the issue.

Why are Retirement Benefits and Health Insurance Benefits being offered now?

The Council members had the option of getting the retirement benefits and the health insurance benefits because of the state insurance and they were considered to be full-time employees. Now the ordinance needs to be modified so that the members can get the employers portion of it. These details were shared by Scott Tanner who serves as the Manning Administrator.

He also added that the ordinance would not be effective until April 2018 when the next council is supposed to be elected.

The Opposition

Pro Prothro who is a local businessman as well as the Clarendon County Chamber President has challenged the decision taken to amend the ordinance. He says that the timing of the proposal is not good. He admitted that the council members had the right to take the decision legally but he didn’t like the fact that the change is approved today while it will be effective after two years. The situation after 2 years is hard to guess. No one can decide the cost of retirement benefits and health insurance benefits at that time accurately.

Prothro accepted that the council members should get paid for their time. But he insists that the change should be tabled till January 2018 because getting statistical data on healthcare costs would be an easy thing to do then.

Another Opponent

Another opponent of the change, Art Lambert said that the council’s Rules of Procedure don’t allow the council members to fix their own salaries especially when they are in the office. He thinks that the council members should consider whether it’s appropriate for them to take this step.

Lambert also expressed doubt on the exact date when the council’s decision to change retirement benefits and health insurance was proposed. He claimed that he had studied all the minutes and could not find the record of this change. He also had the opinion that people should get the opportunity to vote on the matter and so it should be a referendum.