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• Tax Collector's Office won't be blowing smoke  

Jump to full article: (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) Sun-Sentinel, 2009-10-01
Author: Andy Reid South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Intro:

Palm Beach County Tax Collector Anne Gannon has decided the butt stops here.

She said Wednesday she will no longer hire anyone who has regularly used tobacco products, saying smokers in her office stick taxpayers with paying for rising health-care costs.

Existing smokers among her 240 employees get to keep their jobs, but are being "encouraged" to quit, Gannon said. But they will pay more for health insurance: She plans to increase what those employees pay toward their coverage by as much as 20 percent.

Gannon said her goal is to cut down on rising health insurance costs and to encourage a healthier, more productive working environment.

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