One Schuylkill County commissioner’s bid to grant a cost of living increase to retirees died a quick death Wednesday.

At a county retirement board meeting, minority Commissioner Gary J. Hess moved to grant the county retirees a 0.03 percent increase — the first in 10 years.But, with Commissioner Frank J. Staudenmeier absent and Commissioners’ Chairman George F. Halcovage Jr., Controller Christy D. Joy, and Treasurer Linda L. Marchalk staying silent, Hess’ motion died for lack of a second.It was at least the third time this year the subject had been broached.Hess favors the increase; Halcovage is concerned about the cost of providing health benefits to retirees. Workers who retired before 2004 receive lifetime benefits.The last increase was in 2007. Until 2015, commissioners balked at increasing the pensions because they would have had to make the raise retroactive. But state legislation has since relieved them of that requirement.Joan Dietrich, president of the Schuylkill County Retirees Association in March told the county Retirement Board that it would cost the retirement fund $182,116 to grant 0.03 percent increases to each qualifying retiree.The retirement fund as of Wednesday morning was $130,406,544, according to Joy.There are about 500 retirees, but not all would qualify for the increase, Dietrich said.Retirees have been asking for the increase since January.Then, Halcovage Jr. said he wanted to gather more information about the cost of retirees’ health care.In March, Joy said projected costs for retirees over the years increased from $5 million to $20 million by 2011, then to $35 million, a jump he described as “staggering.”The retirement board had anticipated making a decision in April, but that didn’t happen because Hess’ motion does for lack of a second.At the time, the retirement board did agree to meet on the retirees’ request, and vote on it in May.