LaSalle County Insurance Trust officials reviewed a proposed budget on Aug. 18 that projects roughly a 14% increase in insurance costs for the Dec. 1 renewal, with liability and nursing‑home liability lines cited as the principal drivers. Trust staff said the liability package is expected to increase about 10% and non‑ICRMT lines (including nursing‑home liability) could rise as much as 26%.

Mike Nugent, the trust’s contracted consultant, summarized a budget memo and historical background on broker and carrier selection. He said Horton Group was hired after an RFP and serves as the county’s exclusive broker; Horton receives a flat fee and does not take commissions on placements. Nugent said that when the county joined the Illinois Counties Risk Management Trust (ICRMT) in 2022 it realized substantial savings compared with alternate markets and that Horton will again seek alternative quotes for the upcoming renewal to confirm cost competitiveness.

Nugent presented cost drivers and proposed administrative fees. The memo attached to the meeting materials projects the ICRMT portion of the renewal at just under an 11% increase (driven largely by a 10% rise in liability), while the non‑ICRMT lines were projected higher because of recent nursing‑home claims. Nugent said his annual consulting fee for the coming term is $35,600, paid in four installments starting Dec. 1, 2025.

Committee members discussed the difficulty of pricing liability for Illinois municipal entities and the role of CCMSI (the county’s claims administrator) and IPMG in providing claims and safety services. CCMSI representative Rob said the firm’s proposed claims‑administration increase was modest and that most of CCMSI’s work for the county remains loss control and work‑comp claims management.

The committee voted to approve the Nugent Consulting agreement, and later approved a two‑year agreement with CCMSI (subject to adding a conflict‑of‑interest clause consistent with the Nugent agreement). In discussion, legal counsel and trust staff recommended obtaining multiyear claims data and alternative quotes during the fall; Horton Group is expected to present market comparisons at the Nov. 20 meeting.

Committee members emphasized that the budget presented was a planning estimate and that actual renewal pricing could be better if fall weather is benign and no large claims emerge before Dec. 1. "If we have a calm fall, I think we'll do much better than that 13% projected increase," a staff member said.

The committee also noted that specific increases in non‑ICRMT lines were tied to a small number of expensive claims in the nursing‑home program; those claims will be discussed in executive session because they involve pending or potential litigation and reserve decisions.