Howard County Council approves $387,091 in additional appropriations; OKs judge grant line item and public defender ordinance

Howard County Council on Feb. 25 approved additional appropriations totaling $387,091.22, passed transfer and salary adjustments and authorized a line item to front an $8,500 court grant while hearing an annual report from the county public defender.

The council voted to adopt Ordinance No. 2025-HCCO-05, a package of additional appropriations that the auditor said totaled $387,091.22 across multiple funds. The items included a request from the commissioners to increase the county insurance appropriation after year-to-date premiums exceeded the amount set at budget time.

Miss Isaacs, a representative of the Howard County commissioners, told the council the commissioners had budgeted $800,000 for the county insurance fund but that the actual premium bill presented to the county was $1,123,000. "Basically, take it or leave it," she said of the packet of renewal offers the county received on Dec. 30. Isaacs and other staff said the county's previous single-carrier arrangement with Travelers Insurance was not renewed because of claims history and litigation risk; brokers secured coverage from multiple carriers at higher cost. Isaacs added, "We were never without insurance." Council members asked follow-up questions about drivers' training, accident frequency and deductible increases.

The ordinance’s line items included across several funds: county general commissioners insurance $310,000; jail and correctional items in a special purpose fund totaling…