Times Herald-Record
Goshen - It only took a tweak of proposed health care costs for Orange County sheriff's deputies to change their minds about the four-year contract put forward to them by the county.
By a vote of 54-27, the Orange County sheriff's Police Benevolent Association ratified the proposal and ended 14 months without a contract. PBA President Mark Walter said members warmed to the deal after the county switched deputies' share of health care contributions from a percentage to a flat rate.
Fear that such costs could spiral out of control caused deputies to reject a previous offer in December. Sheriff Carl DuBois hailed the new pact, which expires in 2006, as a step toward a more competitive and efficient sheriff's office.
