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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; While the cost of medical insurance decreases for most employees next year in the revised $49.4 million balanced budget proposed by Mayor Tony George, his plan is among those that cost more.</p><p><a href="http://wilkes-barre.city/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/General-Fund-Budget-2018-Revised.pdf" target="_blank">The </a><a href="http://wilkes-barre.city/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/General-Fund-Budget-2018-Revised.pdf" target="_blank">budget</a>, which still has to be approved by city council before year&#8217;s end, contains a $27,909 expense for medical insurance for the mayor&#8217;s office. That&#8217;s $2,791 more than the $25,118 it cost in the mayor&#8217;s original 2018 budget.</p><p>The higher cost is due adjustments from Highmark and the type of plan selected through the city&#8217;s health insurance provider, the mayor said. Highmark offers a Health Maintenance Organization plan and a more flexible Preferred Provider Organization plan that allows people to go outside the network of designated doctors and hospitals at an added cost.</p><p>&#8220;The PPO&#8217;s a little more expensive,&#8221; George said. &#8220;And I pay the 10 percent copay.&#8221;</p><p>George, 66, said he&#8217;s eligible for Medicare and but has husband and spouse coverage through Highmark.</p><p>City Administrator Ted Wampole added the revised budget reflects the medical insurance cost adjustments made after the mayor presented his $49.2 million balanced budget in October.</p><p>&#8220;Anybody with a PPO would see those adjustments,&#8221; Wampole said.</p><p>For instance, the cost of medical insurance for the fire department increases by $137,822 to approximately $1.5 million in the revised budget. Likewise, insurance for the human resources department goes up by $8,191 to $29,762.</p><p>But for the most part, the budget contains reductions for those under the HMO, such as:</p><p>&#8226; $1,537 for city council to $9,768.</p><p>&#8226; $8,440 for police administration to $74,003.</p><p>&#8226; $78,417 for waste collection in the Department of Public Works to $530,305.</p><p>&#8226; $43 for purchasing to $1,053.</p><p>The adjustments contribute to the overall $165,949 increase in the revised budget that does not contain a property tax hike. The mayor froze wages for most of the employees, but not for the police department whose members will receive a 3 percent pay hike in 2018 and 2019 in accordance with their contract. He also proposed raising the garbage and parking meter fees to balance the budget.</p><p>Council on Tuesday approved the garbage fee increase that raises the price of city-issued bags to $2.60 from $2 for a 30-gallon bag and to $1.85 from $1.25 for a 15-gallon bag. The mayor abandoned his proposed switch to a sticker program &#8212; $2.50 per sticker &#8212; after council showed no support for it.</p><p>The higher bag fees are projected to bring in $1.6 million in revenue, an increase of $426,800 from this year&#8217;s budgeted figure of $1.2 million.</p><p>Still pending is council&#8217;s approval of doubling the hourly meter rate to $2. The first of two readings of the ordinance on the higher meter fee was approved at Tuesday night&#8217;s council meeting. It is expected to pass at the Dec. 7 meeting and go into effect 10 days later to raise $1 million in revenue, $475,000 more than this year&#8217;s projected amount.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Medical insurance for Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tony George and some employees will cost more next year in his proposed budget. It&#8217;s due to the plan they&#8217;ve chosen and adjusted figures from insurance provider Highmark, city officials say. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/web1_Budget.cmyk_.jpg</photo0><caption0>Medical insurance for Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tony George and some employees will cost more next year in his proposed budget. It&#8217;s due to the plan they&#8217;ve chosen and adjusted figures from insurance provider Highmark, city officials say. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jerry Lynott</p><p>jlynott@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Wilkes-Barre mayor’s health insurance goes up; cost for others drops