ORANGE BEACH, AL — Sam Jackson stepped up to the mike at an Oct. 18 council meeting to express concerns about a new health plan for city employees that was up for discussion in the work session portion of the meeting.

“I’m the president of the Firefighters Association and I’m here to represent the 45 firefighters in Orange Beach,” Jackson said. “We just heard about this this afternoon and my phone’s blowing up. I wish we had gotten a little notice because everybody panicked.”

Mayor Tony Kennon asked where the other members of his group were.

“If they are worried about it they ought to be right here with you instead of whining and complaining to you,” Kennon said. “You tell ‘em I said that. You said 45? Where are the rest of them if they are concerned?”

“I’m here on their behalf,” Jackson said.

On Nov. 1 officials are expecting an overflow as almost all of the city’s 300 employees are expected at City Hall at 5 p.m. for the next meeting. Plans are being made to have speakers outside the chambers for the meeting to be broadcast to those who can’t find seats. The chamber can safely hold about 100.

For the past three years the city has stuck with the same self-insured plan as allowed by new federal rules, Financial Director Clara Myers said.

“Because of the Affordable Care Act we were trying to keep the plan exactly the same until all aspects settled on that,” Myers said. “But now it’s just time to have to change that because it’s been three years of this law.”

Through self-insurance, she said, the city has faced a deficit each of those years in employee health costs.

“The past three years we lost about $300,000 in 2014, $700,000 in 2015 and now we’re at about a half million year-to-date in 2016,” Myers said.

Kennon said the city must take steps to fix that situation.

“That cannot continue,” he said. “Whatever we have to do to be in a break-even position on health care, we’ve got to do.”

Myers said the new plan being considered and recommended by the Finance Committee would raise deductibles from $200 single to $2,500 for family and from $900 to $4,000 with basically the same plan.

“I just want to say this is going to be a huge pay cut for my family,” employee Angela Bateman said. “That’s over $3,600 I’m going to be out of pocket. We’re not getting a cost of living increase this year. And just want all of you on the council to understand that. I make a very good living here with the city, I’ve been here a long time. It’s going to hurt and impact my family.”