Mayor: Dade Workers To Pay More For Healthcare

MIAMI-DADE (CBS4) – With time running out to submit a balanced budget, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez has announced that non-union county employees will begin paying more for their health insurance.

To reduce the county's healthcare costs, non-union employees' contribution will now be 10 percent of their salaries instead of the five percent which was previously deducted, according to CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald. This increase, along with cutting a three percent cost of living raise for non-union employees, is expected to save the county about $9 million through the end of this fiscal year (which ends September 30th) and $35 million in the next fiscal year.

The mayor plans to ask the unions to accept similar concessions when they meet to discuss new contracts.

Gimenez has vowed to shrink the size of county government, and cut taxes, without harming essential services such as the police and fire departments.

Miami-Dade is facing a $400 million dollar budget shortfall. Gimenez has until this Friday to submit a balanced budget for the upcoming year to the county's commission. County commissioners will cast a final vote on the budget in September.

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