The City of Newton has good news for its employees for the upcoming year.
It’s employee insurance rates won’t be going up thanks to a $71,000 buffer with its insurance provider.
Clyde Ballard, who represented the city’s insurance provider for Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance, said the city was going to have a 5 percent increase in premiums, but the city agreed to use part of a $71,000 reserve it has built up eat the additional increase.
“The reason we have that reserve built up is to help the city whenever we have a bad year of rate increases,” Ballard said. “We’re going to use about $12,000 of that reserve to help cover the extra costs so that your rates won’t be going up for the next year.”
The city officially granted a $3,000 pay raise to fire chief J.C. Collins due to his added responsibilities for animal control.
In other business, the city:
• Approved installing a credit/debit card machine for the court clerk for paying fines.
• Discussed options for a proclamation for the state girls basketball championship team.
• Will send a courtesy letter to 204 Ireland St. and 107 Tillman St.
• Allowed Jay Powell to attend the Dizzy Dean state meeting in Houston, Miss.
• Also discussed changing the name of a street near Newton High School to Milton McMullan Street.
