Recent vote to push an insurance surcharge until February vetoed

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – The recent vote to push an insurance surcharge until February has been vetoed by Starkville’s Mayor.

Lynn Spruill delivered the veto to the City Clerk this afternoon.

A surcharge of $75 a month was to be added to the insurance costs for unvaccinated Starkville city employees beginning the first of December.

But last week, the board of aldermen voted to wait until February to implement the charge.

Mayor Spruill said that while postponing the cost is temporary, she believes relaxing efforts to vaccinate workers ahead of the holiday season could bring greater consequences.

Spruill says there’s also the bottom line to consider. And, how health costs for city workers can get passed on to residents.

“The concern is fiscal because one of the things I say in my veto is that we have over two hundred thousand dollars that were expended on a claim and the city is self-insured and so that is of great concern. We have public servants who I think people rely on for their safety,” said Mayor Spruill.

Mayor Spruill has called for a special meeting next Tuesday afternoon to discuss the surcharge and other alternatives.

Categories: Local News