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[/if ImageKingstree] During the Williamsburg County Council regular meeting on Monday, June 1, Insurance Committee Chairman Sam Drucker reported county insurance will rise by five percent from the previous year. Council approved to evenly split the increase with the employees, therefore rising employee cost by 2.5 percent and the county absorbing the other 2.5 percent.
 
It was also reported that Williamsburg County participates in the insurance to a level that is much higher than other counties, with the county paying 82 percent of employee costs, as opposed to other counties averaging 75 percent. Drucker added that the county has always offered better benefits to its employees since they were traditionally paid salaries below the average compared to counties the same size. But over the past 15 years, the county has closed the pay scale gap and because insurance costs have become a burden on the government, the need to balance the level paid for policies would need to be considered in the future.

Drucker added that if they were utilizing state insurance, changes would have been mandated. Council also approved a motion to hold a special called meeting June 11, to discuss discretionary fund policy, other post employee and retirement benefits.