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Trumbull County HR outlines 23% insurance cost jump; CORSA renewal on agenda
Summary
County human resources staff told commissioners the county faces a roughly 23% net increase in property/liability/auto insurance and presented a renewal with CORSA; commissioners discussed causes, training and risk-mitigation steps but no final vote is recorded in the transcript.
Trumbull County human resources staff told the Board of Commissioners that the county's property, liability and auto fleet insurance costs are rising sharply and placed a renewal of membership in the County Risk Sharing Authority (CORSA) on the agenda for consideration.
Alex (human resources director) told commissioners the renewal proposal from Rossi Insurance and the Trumbull County Independent Insurance Agencies would cover general liability, property damage, law enforcement liability and auto fleet insurance for a one-year policy starting May 1, 2025. Alex said the county's net premium increase for 2025 is about 23.25% compared with 2024 and that the county has experienced both higher exposure and a multiyear lookback of large claims that are driving rates.
The HR director said the insurance cost breaks into three main buckets: the property bucket (about $314,144), liability (about $603,000) and auto fleet (about $111,000). Alex said law enforcement and jail claims, public-official liability and cybersecurity remain large drivers of the liability increase, and that CORSA evaluates the county's frequency and severity of claims over a 3-to-5-year lookback with possible "tail" effects out to five to seven years.
Why it matters: commissioners were warned the jump reflects not only 2024 losses but several prior years of claims and that continued high-severity claims could keep premiums elevated. Alex said county recordkeeping gaps (unreported vehicles, unrecorded assets) have also increased exposure and urged departments to report additions promptly.
Discussion and risk-mitigation steps
Commissioners and staff discussed what can be done to reduce future premiums. Alex outlined steps tied to CORSA's subsidized risk management services: targeted law-enforcement mitigation (body scanners, body-worn cameras and cruiser backup systems), upgraded jail booking software, and cybersecurity controls (multi-factor authentication, phishing training, vulnerability scanning). Alex said those measures, plus continuing mandatory training, are the practical levers to reduce the county's loss history over time.
Alex said the county had been on a warning phase with CORSA in prior years and that improvements in training and department cooperation contributed to CORSA's continued support. Several commissioners pressed for copies of open lawsuits and additional detail; Alex said CORSA asks counties to be cautious about public discussion of active claims and offered to provide counts and non-sensitive summaries after the meeting.
Contract and next steps
Agenda item materials show the proposal to renew participation in CORSA and execute related paperwork; the transcript records a detailed presentation and Q&A but does not contain a recorded vote or final outcome. Commissioners asked staff for more documentation about high-cost claims and for a plan to target public-official and law-enforcement risk buckets.
Ending
Commissioners did not record a vote in the transcript excerpt. Staff said they will return with further details (lists of ongoing claim counts and additional documentation requested by commissioners) and will continue to pursue CORSA risk-management options such as subsidized training and equipment upgrades that could reduce premiums over time.
