It would be tempting to look at Cayuga County Legislature Chairman Herb Marshall's final budget proposal and quickly approve it. After tax increases that totaled 40 percentage points over the past three years, the nearly 2-percent drop in the tax levy under the Marshall plan seems too good to be true.

But this $93.9 million budget does need some work.

First, though, Marshall deserves some credit for putting together a tight overall budget that keeps spending in check. This budget climbs less than 1 percent, an increase almost unheard of in government these days.

The plan preserves a healthy fund balance, which should help prevent major tax increases in years when the revenue picture is not as rosy.

A major disappointment with Marshall's budget, however, is the proposed solution to the escalating costs of legislators' health insurance. Marshall is calling for a $500 annual increase in legislators' salaries, which would trigger them having to pay 10 percent of their health insurance premiums. While this move to address health insurance costs is better than nothing, it would save merely $7,629 for the taxpayers if you weigh the cost of this year's premiums against the cost of the $500 raise.

More needs to be done to bring this expense under control.

The Legislature needs to go beyond Marshall's budget proposal and look at more lasting changes to the health insurance pact. Health insurance premiums are going to continue to rise - overall employee health-care costs for the county this year are 12 percent higher - and the number of retired legislators collecting benefits will grow.

The fundamental issue the Legislature needs to address is this: Providing health-insurance coverage for life to part-time legislators after they serve just 10 years is not wise fiscal policy. Perhaps this once was an added perk that attracted a few more decent candidates for Legislature, but the benefits do not outweigh the pain taxpayers feel in supporting it.