NATCHEZ — City of Natchez officials resolved a 19% spike in the cost of the city’s health insurance plan by spreading the burden of the increase between the city’s budget and employees. 

During Tuesday’s regularly scheduled meeting of the Natchez Mayor and Board of Aldermen, the board unanimously approved their employer contribution rate for health coverage with L.S. & Associates.

Alderman Dan Dillard said the city’s annual cost for health coverage would increase by approximately $138,000 from $1.3 million.

The cost to employees for health insurance would increase by $32 per month for employee-only coverage, by $54.76 per month for employee and spouse or employee and children coverage and $66.88 per month for whole family coverage, Dillard said.

The change would be immediately evident in the next paychecks issued, Natchez Mayor Darryl Grennell said Wednesday.

“L.S. & Associates told us the insurance rates would increase and didn’t give us any particulars as to what is driving that cost up,” Grennell said. “It was given to us at the last second prior to adopting the budget and really put us in a crunch. We had to do what we did to adopt a balanced budget and then later had to revisit the employer contribution to help them out.”