The Miami County Board of County Commissioners voted Oct. 8 to award both workers’ compensation and property and casualty risk-management services to the Elliott Group, with each action passing by a 3–2 vote.

The board discussed two competing proposals and several technical differences between them, including whether endorsements that cover EMTs, registered nurses and health-department staff would be included or would need to be purchased separately. Sydney Ming, assistant director of finance, told the board that an endorsement in one proposal would cover EMTs and health-department workers but that the county might need to buy additional medical-liability coverage for certain supervisory EMS personnel.

Commissioners debated the tradeoffs of working with an independent agent versus a pooled program, and the local economic impact of choosing a local agent whose employees live and shop in the county. One commissioner noted that a KWORK/K Camp pool structure is partly county-owned; commissioners also raised service history and price as decision factors.

For workers’ compensation, an initial motion to select K Work (KWORK/K Camp) failed; the subsequent motion to accept Elliott Group’s revised RFP response with a 0.9 modifier passed 3–2. For property and casualty, the board approved Elliott Group’s proposal by the same margin. County staff and several commissioners asked for flexibility to finalize deductible buy-downs and other contract terms after the vendor selection.

The board’s finance staff warned that certain coverages — including statutory bonds for elected officials and some medical malpractice/medical-liability endorsements — may require additional purchases outside the awarded contracts. Staff estimated that buying some of these endorsements in the past has cost about $10,000, though exact amounts for the current package were not specified.

Commissioners who voted in favor said the Elliott Group’s revised response and proposed modifications were acceptable; those opposed cited preference for the local option or concerns about specific contract terms. The board directed staff to finalize contract language and work with the selected vendor to address deductible and endorsement questions before executing agreements.