Mark it down - Tues., 3 P.M., Government Plaza, 500 Travis St., first floor chambers.
But when will the vote be?
The Shreveport city council agenda for the Sept 12 work session and Sept 13 regular meeting is not posted until the afternoon of Fri. Sept 9.
My press deadline is Thurs. noon, Sept. 8.
The vote on the city's health care plan could be on Tues. Sept. 13. If not then, the vote will be on Tues. Sept. 27.
Shreveport's Heath Insurance Trust Fund Board (HCTFB) voted on Wed. Sept. 7 to recommend to the council a three tier plan.
This plan names Ochsner as the first tier, Willis Knighton as second tier, and out of network providers as third tier.
This means that WK's plan will have higher premiums and higher deductibles than Ochsner.
WK is currently the provider of choice of 60% of the city employees and retirees.
The vote by the council will be the most controversial one in the current term.
Councilwoman Tabatha Taylor (District A) has not indicated her position. She spearheaded the vote for a 13% pay raise for all city employees. Whether or not she is just as concerned about city retirees who may be required to pay more money to stay with their WK healthcare providers is an unknown.
Councilwoman Levette Fuller (District B) says she will vote to continue the current plan for 2023. She will not vote for the recommended three tier plan. Fuller is a mayoral candidate.
Councilman John Nickelson (District C) made comments on the last council meeting (Aug.23) that implied he would vote for the three tier plan. Nickelson is not seeking re-election for a second term.
Nickelson's vote may have some impact on fellow ultraconservative Republican Jim Taliaferro who is seeking to replace him.
Councilman Grayson Boucher (District D) has posted on FB that he will vote to continue the current plan. Boucher is not opposed for re-election.
Councilman Alan Jackson is the interim appointed council representative from District E. He is in a hotly contested race to be elected for a full term. Jackson's position is unknown. In his past votes he has been tied to the April strings of Taylor.
Councilman James Green (District F) is unopposed for re-election. His position is unknown. Green like
Taylor have been water carriers for Mayor Adrian Perkins. Since Perkins voted as a member of the
HCTFB for the three tier plan, they will most likely follow his lead.
Councilman Jerry Bowman, Jr. (District G) is termed out. By text he indicated that he recused himself from the health care vote, although there is confusion on his vote. Bowman is an employee of Ochsner.
His wife is in a contested race to replace him on the council. His vote will no doubt impact her race.
The vote by Perkins will further damage his re-election bid despite his statements of fiscal responsibility.
Collectively WK employees, city employees, retirees, their families and friends are expected to have substantial clout in the Nov. primary and the Dec. general election.
The fireman's union and both police associations oppose the three tier plan.
Litigation has been promised by Dr. Michael Carter, president of the Shreveport Police officer's Association, if the three tier plan is approved by the council.
It can be expected that WK will also file litigation if the current plan is not continued for 2023.
The argument made by the administration of the additional cost of underwriting the health insurance plans as the incentive to adopt the three tier plan is difficult to reconcile with their boasting of a large city budget surplus fueled almost entirely by American Rescue Plan moneys.
The city's health care plan, as well as retiree plan, needs serious revenue from the perspectives of costs, deficit funding required from the general fund, and overall viability for both the city, its employees, and its citizens.
Barbara Sellers, the president of the Shreveport firefighters union, aptly stated the concerns of her members, which should be shared by administration, the council, and all Shreveport citizens .
She listed these as affordable, accessible, equitable, inclusive, and continuity of care for city employees, retirees and their families.
At the Wed. meeting, Sellers also stated that the final voted on the 2023 heath plan should be defendable.
Good government dictates that the criteria listed by Sellers be followed.