In a bizarre statement to retired and soon to retire Myrtle Beach City Employees, Mayor Brenda Bethune said today, “Just because you don’t hear us constantly talking about it doesn’t mean we’re not constantly working on it.”
She made those comments to all who attended Tuesday’s City Council meeting. “We will be coming back to you with a plan once we get all of the information we need to make all of those decisions,” Bethune added. Many translated her statement to mean she would get back once the Mayoral election was over on November 2nd.
Enrollment for the new plans had been scheduled to begin in November and end in early December, but Bethune said the deadline was moved because the city is still waiting for new rates from the federal government to arrive sometime in late October or early November. The open-enrollment deadline for Myrtle Beach city employees to sign up for health benefits has been pushed back to Jan. 15, Mayor Brenda Bethune announced during Tuesday morning’s city council meeting.
A group of city retirees has been pressing officials to avoid making cuts and preserve benefits they were promised when they were hired, some as far back as 30 years ago. Dozens protested the potential loss of their benefits at a council meeting in September, and nearly 100 people signed a letter sent to council members highlighting how they would be adversely affected by changes to their benefits.
BETHUNE IN HER OWN WORDS
One source connected to the city told MyrtleBeachSC News, “In truth, retiring city employees actually want to be put back on the city’s health benefit plan, not placed in the Obamacare individual enrollment.
The Market Place rates come out in November and like everything else, are expected to increase. However, it only delays a final cut date by 15 days. There’s no real benefit as far as decision making because last year’s prices are exactly that , last year’s.
Council could make a decision to reverse their actions on removing retirees and future retirees from promised health care insurance today if they wanted to. It does give council an opportunity to look into what the insurance would cost retirees, address budget changes, but with the information provided to council, it is frustrating and confusing to see why they would not rule in favor of city employees, past and present.“