Ravalli County commissioners voted May 30 to authorize renewal of the Montana Association of Counties pool (Mako) property and casualty contribution for the 2025–26 policy year and approved a property-acknowledgment form, with county staff to finalize amended values and vehicle valuations before the June 15 binding date.

The county’s agent, Hope Parker, presented the renewal materials and told commissioners she was "happy to present to you a decrease of point 58% this year. So you are getting a decrease of $5,581." Parker said the drop came despite an increase in the county’s total insured value — driven by higher building, vehicle and equipment valuations — and urged departments to confirm schedule values to avoid overpaying premiums.

Parker walked commissioners through several elements of the pool presentation, including reinsurance market pressures nationally, how pools use actuarial analysis to stabilize rates, and the distinction between rating values and payout at time of loss. On vehicle valuations she warned departments to list actual cash values rather than cost-new to avoid overpaying premiums and said counties can use pricing services such as Kelley Blue Book or state-specific price guides. "You have until, June 15 to make the changes," Parker said, referring to schedule updates before binding.

County staff and the board discussed operational details of vehicle ACV accounting and upfitted law-enforcement vehicles (for example, separating a patrol vehicle’s chassis value from permanently mounted equipment). Parker explained the pool will pay vehicle settlements based on the adjuster’s ACV determination at time of loss while replacement of specialized upfit equipment is paid at stated or replacement value.

Commissioners pressed staff on presentation transparency: they asked for an apples-to-apples historic breakdown showing total amounts the county actually paid each year (including agent commission and administrative fees) versus the line-by-line premium/contribution numbers used in loss-ratio displays. Parker agreed to provide a multi-year breakdown and to confirm whether past comparison sheets included agent commission and the pool’s administration allocation.

The county’s claims mix and loss drivers were part of the discussion. Parker noted the county’s liability loss ratio and property loss developments, and presented a claims summary showing law enforcement and patrol vehicle accidents accounted for a large share of recent liability and property dollars. Parker said roughly two-thirds of liability claims value is tied to sheriff’s-related exposures and that many property claims in recent years were vehicle-wildlife strikes.

Following the presentation and question period, a motion to approve the Mako PCT 2025–26 contribution and to sign the property-acknowledgment form (with the understanding staff would finalize amended values) was moved, seconded and approved. Commissioners also directed staff and the county’s agent to finalize vehicle ACV splits and to deliver a detailed five-year premium and loss breakdown to the board.

County staff will return to the board with the requested historical breakdowns and a recommended approach to a depreciation schedule for county vehicles and equipment to be used for rating purposes; Parker said the pool’s final contribution will bind June 15 and that some members continue to make schedule changes up to that date.

Why this matters: The pool renewal and the vehicle-valuation work affect the county’s annual insurance contribution and the county budget. Updating ACV entries and the property schedule can reduce premium exposure without changing coverage decisions at claim time.