Attending workers' comp seminar is a no-brainer

Even if local governments did not stand to realize 25 percent savings in their workers' compensation premiums for 2002 -- Mahoning County is in line for a $750,000 windfall, while Youngstown can expect $511,477 -- we would still be urging officials to attend a seminar sponsored by the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation.
Why? Because statewide, the public sector's use of the workers' comp system is exploding, which suggests that governments at all levels need to learn about safety programs that could help lower claims and, ultimately, result in cost savings.
But given that Mahoning County, Youngstown, the Youngstown School District, Trumbull County, Warren, the Warren School District, Columbiana County, Lisbon Village and the Lisbon School District are potential beneficiaries of BWC's bonus plan, sending representatives to one of 11 "summits" is a no-brainer. The four-hour sessions will be held in January and February.
As Mahoning County's human resources manager, J. Kevin Sellards, put it, "It's a hell of a deal. All you have to do is show up, and it only has to be one of [the three county commissioners]."
Or as James Conrad, BWC administrator, noted recently in a written statement: "If the heads of local public employers attend these sessions and implement proven cost-saving measures and solid safety programs, we believe future cost savings can more than equal this one-time dividend."
Premium increase: And future cost savings are an important consideration in light of what has taken place with the workers' compensation program. The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation oversight commission recently voted to increase public employer premium rates an average of 6.4 percent for 2002.
While it is true that the increase won't cause local governments to collapse, it does come at a time of tight budgets and economic uncertainties. Indeed, the higher costs are a stark contrast to the 75 percent reduction in premiums that counties, townships, school districts, villages and other public-employee agencies received this year.
The $180 million in refunds were a godsend to cities like Youngstown, which were scrambling to stop the flow of red ink in their operating budgets.
Indeed, even now the BWC is trying to help out local governments, providing them with a one-time, 50 percent rate reduction in 2003. That program carries a price tag of $144 million. But as Rob Glenn, BWC spokesman, explained recently, "Because of the economy, we don't want to just raise rates without helping people out a little bit."
The state's doing its part. Local governments have a responsibility to do theirs.