Residents and stakeholders press Jackson County over insurance procurement and state bills; call for open RFPs

Several Jackson County residents and local stakeholders used public comment during the Aug. 12 Board of County Commissioners meeting to press elected officials to re-evaluate the county's procurement of its insurance program and to explain the county's position on recent state legislation they say reduces local authority.

Why it matters: County insurance contracts are a recurring budget item that residents say can be a major driver of county costs. Public speakers asked commissioners to issue an open RFP so independent insurance carriers can compete, and several speakers raised concerns about transparency and whether the county's current procurement path gives residents the best value.

What residents said - Jack Staver, a resident who said he was attending his first meeting, urged the board to re-bid the county's insurance contract and described the current procurement…