Kenosha County supervisors opted Tuesday to beef up, rather than cut, their health insurance, and to retain a new $64,000-a-year admissions coordinator for Brookside Care Center.

The County Board spent most of its time on these matters as it headed toward adopting a $201.7 million 2010 budget. The budget passed 24-3, with Doug Noble, Rob Zerban and Bob Haas voting against it, decrying the health insurance move.

Health insurance

turnabout

After one supervisor’s motion to eliminate the supervisors’ health benefit fell flat, another supervisor’s motion to make it even better barely passed.

Dayvin Hallmon made a motion to strike the entire benefit, which is slated to cost taxpayers $286,586 next year.

Supervisors, who are paid a $6,000 annual salary, are entitled to employee health benefits, for which the county currently subsidizes 90 percent of the premium cost. The subsidy is budgeted to decrease to 85 percent in 2010.

A friendly amendment from Zerban changed Hallmon’s motion to maintain the benefit, with a 50 percent county subsidy.

Noting a 1972 resolution that set 600 hours per year, or 11.53 hours per week, as the anticipated workload for supervisors, Hallmon questioned whether these part-time employees should be entitled to full-time benefits.

Others countered that the benefits have traditionally been a part of the supervisors’ compensation package, and that serving on the board can be a 24-hour-a-day job, with constant potential for contact with constituents.

Mark Molinaro said supervisors should not be ashamed of receiving compensation for their work.

“My point is this,” he said. “We deserve the compensation for what we do.”

After Hallmon’s motion fell on a 22-5 vote, with Hallmon, Zerban, Jennifer Jackson, Roger Johnson and Bob Haas in the minority, Huff made a motion to go the opposite way.

Huff proposed eliminating any premium cost for supervisors, saying the county should pay 100 percent of it, as it does with elected county officials.

His motion passed 14-13, with Zerban, Hallmon, Terry Rose, Shavonda Marks, Ed Kubicki, Jeffrey Gentz, Mark Modory, William P. Michel II, John O’Day, Doug Noble, Roger Johnson, Haas and Joe Clark in the minority.

Brookside position

is maintained

Supervisors voted 15-12 against a motion to strike the Brookside post after a debate lobbed back and forth over whether the nursing home’s existing staff is up to the task of increasing the facility’s short-term rehabilitation Medicare patient population — something county administration leaders say is necessary to reduce Brookside’s dependence on property tax levy dollars.

“I think the county executive should be commended for actively looking for ways to generate ways to generate revenue for this institution,” said Michel, who voted to retain the position.

The admissions coordinator will be responsible for working with hospitals and other referral agencies to maintain the desired patient mix at Brookside.

Next year’s budget aims for an average daily census of 25 Medicare patients, up from the 2009 budgeted level of 19.5.

Medicare patients generate about $100 in revenue per day, compared with private-pay patients who are a break-even proposition for Brookside and Medicaid patients who cost the facility about $100 per day, due to inadequate state reimbursements.

County officials have said changing the census to the new budgeted level could generate upward of $1 million in new annual revenue.

Opponents, including Rose — the maker of the motion to strike the position — called on Brookside’s existing staff to achieve the same results.

Said Kubicki, chairman of the board’s Human Services Committee: “These are trying economic times. We are asking our work force to work harder with less.”

County employee union leaders again turned out to oppose the addition of the non-represented position, which they deemed unnecessary. Instead, they said the believed the county should consider adding another union social worker position.

Voting to strike the position were William Grady, James Huff, Richard Kessler, Marks, Anita Faraone, David Singer, Jim Moore, Jennifer Jackson, Noble, Dennis Elverman, Rose and Kubicki.

Zerban, Hallmon, Gentz, Modory, Ronald Johnson, O’Day, Gabe Nudo, Fred Ekornaas, Gordon West, Kim Breunig, Haas, Roger Johnson, Clark, Michel and Molinaro voted to retain it.

Brian Morton was absent.