Terri Lambert (file photo)
Ordinance practice in the City of Gonzales can get confusing, evidenced by the Council’s 3-1 vote (with an abstention) to discontinue Retiree Medicare Stipends received by ultra select few former employees (including a couple of mayors). No stated criteria, aside from date-of-birth renders one lucky former employee eligible and others out of luck. With Councilwoman Terri Lambert and her new bestie (Cynthia James) leading the way, what could possibly go wrong?
The policy, it was revealed last night, has been amended at least twice and seemingly to accommodate very specific individuals. The latest ordinance change occurred in 2016 as part of that Fiscal Year’s attached budget message. According to knowledgeable sources, the amendment was made at the urging of former Councilman Neal Bourque who desired to accommodate a single employee, then Mayor Barney Arceneaux.
Ordinance #3087, adopted on April 25, 2016, strike throughs denote deletion of original, red font means addition.
Retiree Medical Stipend
The City of Gonzales has traditionally paid all medically covered retirees, upon reaching the age of 65, a $200 per month stipend to help offset the cost of health services past the age of 65. This has proven to be a costly benefit to the city, exceeding $50,000 per year. In an effort to further control benefit spending,
we are recommending ending this benefit at the end of 2016. All covered retirees currently receiving the benefit on December 31, 2016, or having attained the age of 65 by December 31, 2016, will be grandfathered-in to the program and allowed to receive the benefit. Any retirees turning 65 after December 31, 2016 will not be eligible for this program.Retiree Medicare Stipends will be discontinued immediately.
“Why aren’t we voting on the 2018 amendment?,” wondered Councilwoman Lambert who went on to explain that the verbiage was altered in the employee handbook for that year “to add in three employees, which is what we should be voting on.” City Attorney Allen Davis opined that adopting the proposed amendment would eliminate all stipends, whether added in 2018, 2016…whenever.
“The ordinance, the way it’s written, does not include those three people. I want to vote on all of it and put this dog to rest,” Lambert insisted, oblivious to the legal counsel she’d been offered.
Councilman Tyler Turner suggested tabling the item for some study might be the best path forward, but his motion died for lack of a second. The floor returned, Lambert moved to amend the proposed ordinance change to add, “Covered employees retired prior to December 31, 2016 will be eligible for this program upon attaining the age of 65.”
The amendment was adopted by Lambert, Cynthia James and Kirk Boudreaux (Eddie Williams opposed and Turner abstained). Then the same three votes approved a new ordinance #3087, with Lambert’s amending language:
“The City of Gonzales has traditionally paid all medically covered retirees, upon reaching the age of 65, a $200 per month stipend to help offset the cost of health services past the age of 65. This has proven to be a costly benefit to the city, exceeding $50,000 per year. In an effort to further control benefit spending, Retiree Medicare Stipends will be discontinued immediately.
Covered employees retired prior to December 31, 2016 will be eligible for this program upon attaining the age of 65.”
And, if the stipends are ever revived, those three employees will be first in line.
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