Fox 2 News Reporter Interviews Mayor Kelly on Health Insurance

Last Thursday, at the request of some residents, Fox 2 anchor Elliott Davis who receive city-paid health insurance.

The next day Davis went to mayor Pat Kelly's office and questioned him on the topic.

Patch was at the interview of the residents. Read about it:

Davis agreed to let Patch see the recording of Kelly's interview at the Fox studio in Maryland Heights.

Following is a transcript of the interview. The produced Fox 2 segment will run Wednesday, July 11, at 9 p.m.

Elliott Davis is in itallics and Pat Kelly is in bold.

Davis: Let me get your name.

Kelly: Pat Kelly.

Let me get your position.

Mayor of the City of Brentwood.

Mayor, what is the insurance you and apparently three other aldermen have?

The city has offered for a number of years health insurance for the elected officials.

Residents pay for health insurance for part-time people, like yourself and the aldermen?

I think we’re evaluating that. Again, it’s been the practice of the city for a number of years. The board of aldermen is looking at that right now and evaluating it.

Why do you think elected officials should have it? Health insurance?

I don’t know. It’s a benefit that was offered to the officials and some took advantage of it and some haven’t.

You took advantage of it?

At some point, yes I did.

How long have you had it?

I can’t remember. I’ve been an elected official for 19 years, but I think it’s been within the last six or seven that I actually took advantage of the health insurance.

You’ve had the city-paid health insurance for about six or seven years?

I think so.

Do you think that’s a good deal for the taxpayers? Part-time worker?

Well, I think it was a benefit that was offered to us and I took advantage of it.

Do you think that was a fair investment for taxpayers to have to pay for health insurance for yourself? Do you think it was good deal for taxpayers to have to pay for yourself and the aldermen? 

I guess I don’t understand what you mean by a deal.

Was it fair? Most part-time workers don’t get free health care.

Right. Well, again, I think elected officials at all different levels have different benefits. Different cities are treated differently, and it was something that was offered to us. Some have taken advantage of it, some haven’t.

Now, half the board can’t get the health insurance now, right?

Yeah, starting a couple years ago we joined a pool of municipalities in order to save on health insurance. We were one of the few cities that offered health insurance to elected officials at the time. In order to be consistent, when we entered into this pool, and started this, in order to save money, for all of the cities, we decided to phase it out. We agreed with the organization that we would phase out. They would grandfather in the existing elected officials and then phase out the ones, as newly elected officials were coming in. So we’re phasing out the program.

So how many aldermen don’t have health insurance on the board?

Well, if four of us have it, then I guess five don’t.

Does that sound like a good set-up, where you’ve got four of the aldermen with free health insurance, and yourself of course, (Right) and the rest don’t have it? Why wouldn’t you have just ended the program entirely, and yourself and the rest of the aldermen all got out of this health care deal?

I guess that could have been an option at the time, but again…

Why didn’t you guys do that if it was an option?

A couple of the elected that don’t have it opted not to have it, because they have it through their work and so forth.

But you could have opted out.

I could have, right.

Why didn’t you?

Because I took advantage of the benefit that was offered to us.

Why should taxpayers like paying for you for free health insurance and you have a part-time job? Why should they like that?

Some do and some don’t.

Can you explain to the ones that don’t, do you want to explain to them why they should like it?

Well, again, I think it’s a benefit that was offered to us and I took advantage of it.

How did you guys get this benefit in the first place?

I’m not sure when it was actually instituted within the city, but I think it was back in the 90s.

The city council approved it?

We’re tying to determine how it was actually approved.

You don’t know how it came to be?

No, not at this point.

It’s obvious city officials had to OK it.

Right, and I think it’s been approved through the budget, right.

So the board of aldermen, or the city council at the time, would have to OK it.

Through the budget, right.

Was there a specific bill that gave you that health insurance?

I don’t think so.

Wait a minute. So the board of aldermen never really officially approved you guys getting this free health insurance.

Well, I think it was approved through the budget process, right.

What I’m saying, in other words, there was no ordinance that said we’re going to give free health insurance to the mayor and other city officials.

I don’t believe so, right.

So, did you guys get it illegally then, if there was no particular ordinance authorizing it?

I guess that would have to be determined. I would hope that it’s not illegal.

But do you know? Have you gotten an opinion on that?

No we haven’t.

You don’t know if it was illegal or not what you got in the first place.

That’s what we’re trying to determine.

So why are you saying anything if you don’t even know if it’s illegal or not?

Well, we’re trying to determine that.

So you think it’s a good deal.

I didn’t say it’s a good deal. I said it’s a benefit that was offered to us and I took advantage of it.

So if you don’t know if it’s a good deal, why would you…

I don’t understand your question, by a good deal.

In other words, how does it benefit taxpayers?

Well, I don’t know.

And you get a salary on top of that.

Oh yeah, sure.

And residents complain that you’re among the highest paid of any municipality in the area, for part-time city officials. How do you answer that?

Well, I think that’s something that was approved by ordinance back in 1992, I’m sorry, 2002, and it’s what it is. It’s something the board elected to do.

Are you guys getting paid too much?

I think I give back to the city everything I take from the city.

Mayor, thank you.

Thank you.