The council’s decision to add two new tiers to the health insurance plan allows for more flexibility in coverage options. The new structure introduces four tiers: single, family, employee plus children, and employee plus spouse. This change is designed to give families the opportunity to choose the most cost-effective insurance coverage for their circumstances. The city’s contribution rates for single and family plans will experience a significant increase for 2026, reflecting changes in how premiums are distributed across the tiers. However, the overall cost for the city is expected to remain flat due to the reallocation of costs among the different tiers. The council plans to revisit and potentially adjust the rates for employee plus spouse and employee plus children tiers in 2027 and 2028, depending on the continued availability of these insurance plans.

In addition to the insurance changes, the council approved a base pay schedule increase for unrepresented city employees. The pay scale will see a 4% increase in 2026, followed by a 3.5% increase each in 2027 and 2028. This decision was informed by a market study ensuring the city’s salaries remain competitive.

Furthermore, the council discussed a related contract that includes similar insurance and pay scale adjustments for a specific employee group. The contract also introduces a memorandum of understanding regarding court cancellation pay, allowing the city to collect data on the impact of cancellations over the next three years before making permanent contract adjustments.