RESOLUTION NO. 216
AMENDING THE RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR ALBANY COUNTY EMPLOYEES REGARDING HEALTH INSURANCE BENEFITS FOR RETIREES
Introduced: 4/8/24
By Mayo and Ward:
WHEREAS, By Resolution No. 136-b for 1999, this Honorable Body adopted employee rules and regulations which are applicable to all non-union employees of Albany County, and
WHEREAS, By Resolution No. 217 for 2019, this Honorable Body amended these rules to reflect that employees hired after the adoption of these rules were eligible for health insurance benefits for retirees after fifteen (15) years of qualifying County service that is continuous and uninterrupted, and
WHEREAS, It is the view of this Honorable Body that fifteen (15) years of service to Albany County is sufficient to vest employees with health insurance benefits in retirement, and that the additional requirement of continuous and uninterrupted service is no longer consistent with the changing labor markets of Albany County, and
WHEREAS, This change in vesting for health insurance will allow Albany County to remain competitive and recruit more seasoned professionals to return to County service, benefiting numerous departments and the individuals they serve, and
WHEREAS, The Albany County Legislature intends this policy be modified to allow for total aggregate years of service rather than continuous and uninterrupted years of service to control eligibility for health insurance benefits and to apply to all current and former employees of Albany County who have not yet retired from the New York State Retirement System, now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, By the Albany County Legislature that the Albany County Employee Rules and Regulations, adopted pursuant to Resolution No. 136-b for 1999, as amended, are hereby amended as follows:
Article IX, Section A(1)(a)(2) shall read: “The service indicated in eligibility criterion one (1), (above), need not be continuous and uninterrupted-. [if reinstatement to County service following a period of separation was within twelve calendar months following the date of separation. In such circumstances, an employee’s benefits date (as defined by these Rules)] The aggregate total time of service shall be used to determine length of service achieved by the employee.”
Article IX, Section A(1)(a)(4)(c) shall replace “twenty” with “fifteen”
[Article IX Retiring Part Time Employees, Group “A” part (b) shall read:
“(b) Eligibility Criteria. On the day of separation from County service, the employee must meet all of the following criteria:
• 5 [calendar] aggregate total years of County service.
• Age 55 or older.
• Enrolled in County health insurance”
Article IX Retiring Part Time Employees, Group “B” part (b) shall read:
“(b) Eligibility Criteria. On the day of separation from County service, the employee must meet all of the following criteria:
• 10 [calendar] aggregate total years of County service.
• Age 55 or older.
• Enrolled in County health insurance”
Article IX Retiring Part Time Employees, Group “C” part (b) shall read:
“(b) Eligibility Criteria. On the day of separation from County service, the employee must meet all of the following criteria:
• 5 [calendar] aggregate total years of County service.
• Age 55 or older.
• Enrolled in County health insurance”
Article IX Retiring Part Time Employees, Group “D” part (b) shall read:
“(b) Eligibility Criteria. On the day of separation from County service, the employee must meet all of the following criteria:
• Have completed 10 aggregate total years of equivalent full-time County service.
• Age 55 or older.
• Enrolled in County health insurance”
Article IX Retiring Part Time Employees, Group “E” part (b) shall read:
“(b) Eligibility Criteria. On the day of separation from County service, the employee must meet all of the following criteria:
• Have completed 10 aggregate total years of equivalent full-time County service.
• Age 55 or older.
• Enrolled in County health insurance”
Article IX Retiring Part Time Employees, Group “F” part (b) shall read:
“(b) Eligibility Criteria:
• Employees must have completed fifteen (15) aggregate total years of equivalent full-time County service. Calculation of full time service uses a standard work week of not less than thirty five (35) hours per week.
• Age 55 or older.
• Enrolled in County health insurance”]
and, be it further
RESOLVED, That such changes to the rule shall be effective immediately for all current employees of Albany County, and, be it further
RESOLVED, That former employees of Albany County, who have not yet retired with the New York State Retirement System, shall be eligible to return to County service and thereafter apply their previous aggregate time of service when calculating eligibility for health insurance benefits consistent with these Rules, provided, however, that such former employees shall be required to complete three-years of continuous and uninterrupted service before becoming eligible for such benefits and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the County Legislature is directed to forward certified copies of this resolution to the appropriate County Officials.
Referred to Personnel and Audit and Finance Committees - 4/8/24