Some Island Lake workers may lose health insurance

Fourteen village of Island Lake employees could temporarily lose health insurance coverage because of the village board's recent decision to not pay its bills, the town's finance director said Tuesday.

The affected employees work in the public works and water departments and are administrative employees, Finance Director John Little said. All are members of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150.

Employees will be required to pay for needed medical services, then submit claims for reimbursement once insurance coverage is reinstated, Little said.

The problem arose after the board didn't agree to pay its bills for the month when it met Jan. 14. The board had been asked to pay 269 invoices totaling nearly $200,806.

Three trustees - Donna O'Malley, Connie Mascillino and Don Verciglio - voted to pay the bills. The three others - John Ponio, Don Saville and Laurie Rabattini - voted against cutting checks to the various vendors owed money by the village.

The resulting 3-3 tie meant the motion to pay the bills failed. Mayor Debbie Herrmann normally would be asked to break a tie, but she did not attend the meeting.

Herrmann could not be reached for comment.

Little informed Herrmann and the trustees about the fallout from the decision Friday in a series of e-mails that have been acquired by the Daily Herald.

In addition to the insurance issue, the village could be assessed late charges and other penalties by vendors, Little said. Garbage service to the village government facilities could be interrupted, too, he said.

Village payroll is not affected, Little said.

The deadlock on the bills is the first Little can recall in his eight years working in Island Lake.

O'Malley called the situation "atrocious."

"(It's) a sad state of affairs, that three people voted not to pay the bills and that there are ramifications from it," she said.

Rabattini said she voted against paying the bills because she had concerns about several invoices, including one about information-technology services.

Ponio said he votes against paying the bills every month but wouldn't say why. He declined to comment on the impact of the Jan. 14 vote.

Saville couldn't be reached to explain his vote.

O'Malley insisted trustees can pull invoices from the bill list for individual discussion if they have questions. Most of the bills are simply regular monthly expenses, she said.

Board members have argued about the bills before. Rabattini said trustees receive the list of bills the day they're supposed to vote on them and don't have enough time to review the charges.

"I've asked for them to be e-mailed or to get copies ahead of time, (but I got) no response," she said.

Rabattini insisted she doesn't want employees to lose health insurance or the village to rack up late-payment fees.

"But this cannot go on," she said.

The insurance matter and some fees could be averted if the board approves the bills when it next meets Thursday night, Little said. For example, officials could rush a health-insurance payment to the employee union office.

"On Friday, we're going to have to scramble to get (payment) to the union office," Little said.

If the board again votes to skip paying its debts, "I'm sure it's going to get a little tougher," Little said.