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Sunday, April 09, 2006

Ind. Courts - Judicial mandate in Jackson County

Updating this ILB entry from March 23 ("Jackson judges will issue mandate") are these additional stories and an editorial from the Seymour Daily Tribune.

"Financial woes not their problem?" is the headline to the editorial from 3/27/06 that begins:

Excuse us, but did we hear that correctly? Jackson County’s financial problems aren’t the problems of Jackson Circuit and Superior courts?

That’s what Jackson Superior Judge Bruce Markel told Jackson County Board of Commissioners at its meeting last week when he and Jackson Circuit Judge Bill Vance threatened to mandate or order that insurance coverage and costs remain the same for their employees while costs and/or deductibles increase for most other county employees.

The county’s financial problems aren’t their problems?

This story from 4/1/06 is headlined "Judges mandate insurance costs: Order covers courts, probation office, drug and alcohol program." Some quotes:
BROWNSTOWN — Insurance costs will remain the same for employees in Jackson County’s two courts, probation department and drug and alcohol program while increasing for others.

That’s a result of a mandate issued Friday by the county’s two judges, Jackson Circuit Judge Bill Vance and Jackson Superior Judge Bruce Markel, delivering on a threat made last week during a Jackson County Board of Commissioners meeting. * * *

Changes to the county’s health insurance were made by Jackson County Council last month after the state Department of Local Government Finance ordered it to cut $2.2 million from the general fund budget.As part of the $1.3 million in cuts the council eventually made toward meeting that directive, commissioners put together the change in insurance plans for the 177 county employees now insured.

That plan gives employees two options — keep their premiums as they are and face larger deductibles and co-pays or keep their policies intact and have their premiums doubled.

The 4/5/06 coverage is headlined "Order awaits panel: Mandate for insurance sent to high court." Some quotes:
BROWNSTOWN — A judicial mandate issued Friday by Jackson County’s judges to maintain group health insurance benefits for their employees has yet to make it to the Indiana Supreme Court.

“The clerk could have it, but I haven’t seen it yet,” Tom Carusillo said. Carusillo, the court’s director of trial court services, said once the case reaches his desk, a summary will be sent to the five members of the supreme court who will then select a special judge.

The special judge will hear the case and issue their findings, which would be reviewed by the court. * * *

[Judges] Vance and Markel contend the decision to change health insurance benefits is essentially making their employees take a pay cut because they have not received a pay increase in two years and pay was already inadequate.

They further contended that the changes cold lead to the loss of knowledgeable, competent and qualified employees with years of experience, and that those employees are needed to maintain the integrity of the court.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on April 9, 2006 11:19 AM
Posted to Indiana Courts