Health benefits, tentative budget approved

The Maricopa City Council approved health benefits packages Tuesday for city employees for fiscal year 2012-13.

Though employees will continue to have 100 percent of their own insurance paid for by the city, there will be small increases in what employees will have deducted from the pay checks for dependents.

For example, an employee with his or her spouse on the plan will see an increase from the $37.70 currently deducted in each two-week pay period to $41.85. For an employee with a family on the plan, the current deduction is $68.55 but will rise to $76.10.

Finance Director Tom Duensing said the city will be spending about 10 percent more for health insurance in the 2012-13 fiscal year, but the increase has been managed within the proposed budget, which was tentatively approved Tuesday and will be up for final vote June 5.

***ADVERTISEMENT***Duensing said there will be no increase in property taxes, though by state statute municipalities can raise property taxes 2 percent per year.

The tentative budget includes a total operating request of $46,034, 997, with $29,795,508 requested for the general fund, $1,414,198 for the highway user revenue fund, $12,704,243 for the grants fund and $2,121,048 for the debt-service fund.

To view a summary of the tentatively approved budget, click here.