Health insurance benefits for county supervisors and a new admissions coordinator position at Brookside Care Center were on the minds of a small group of speakers at the Kenosha County Board’s 2010 budget hearing Monday.

Only six people turned out to speak on the $201.7 million proposed spending package, which comes with a $55.36 million property tax levy.

Ronald R. Frederick, retired director of disability services for the county, urged supervisors to eliminate the $286,000 taxpayer subsidy of their own health insurance costs. County retirees are involuntarily relinquishing a $700,000 subsidy to their benefits, he noted.

Supervisors, who are paid a $6,000 annual salary, are entitled to health insurance benefits with an 85 percent county subsidy, under the proposed 2010 budget. The county now subsidizes 90 percent of their premium costs.

Frederick suggested supervisors at least contribute 50 percent of their premium costs.

“A 50 percent subsidy for a Cadillac health-care plan, I think, is a tremendous support,” Frederick said.

Two county employees opposed the addition of the $64,000-a-year, non-represented position at Brookside.

The coordinator would be responsible for boosting the nursing home’s Medicare patient census to an average of 25 patients per day.

Proponents say this would generate upward of $1 million in revenue, striking the facility’s reliance on the tax levy. County Executive Jim Kreuser earlier Monday said this cannot be accomplished with existing staff levels.

Donna Dickenson, vice president of the American Federation of Local, State and Municipal Employees Local 990, said the board should consider adding a third union social worker if it feels another position is needed.

Madelyn Wirch, a night nurse at Brookside, said it was a redundant position that others could do.

“This is really not necessary, and in these hard economic times we have to be fiscally responsible,” Wirch said.

The board is scheduled to vote adoption of the budget at 7:30 tonight in the county Administration Building, 1010 56th St.