Missouri Valley Pays Nearly $2 Million for Staff — But Apparently That’s Not Enough to Afford a Performance Review.

Missouri Valley spent $395,426.57 in 2024 covering all employee health costs:

• 100% of health

• 100% of deductibles/HRA funds

• 100% of HSA contributions

City employees pay $0.

But here’s the part most residents don’t know:

Missouri Valley’s own written policy requires employees to buy into their health insurance.

City staff are supposed to pay a portion of their premiums just like every other working adult in Harrison County.

Instead, the City has never enforced its own policy, and taxpayers have been forced to cover 100% of every dollar. This issue has even been debated in council meetings — some council members have openly questioned why the policy exists if the City refuses to follow it.

What the Average Harrison County Resident Pays

(Source: Kaiser Family Foundation; Iowa Insurance Division)

The typical working adult pays:

• $6,575/year toward a family plan premium

• $1,735 deductible on average

• About $429/month for an ACA Silver plan if they don’t have employer coverage

Most families here spend $10,000+ per year on health insurance costs.

City employees spend: $0.

Plus: Automatic Raises and No Performance Reviews

Missouri Valley employees receive:

• Automatic annual raises

• No formal performance reviews

• No accountability system

So taxpayers are:

• Paying for premium-level benefits

• Paying full deductibles

• Paying full HSA contributions

• Paying automatic annual pay increases

• And getting zero performance oversight in return

Bottom Line

Missouri Valley’s own policy says employees must contribute to their insurance — but the City refuses to enforce it. That decision shifts hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs straight onto taxpayers every year.

The people paying the bills have worse healthcare — and fewer protections — than the people receiving the paycheck.