Park County staff recommend renewing 2025–26 property and casualty coverage with Mako; 2.54% county increase

Hope Barker, property casualty trust administrator for Mako, told Park County commissioners Tuesday that Mako recommends renewing the county’s 2025–26 property and casualty coverage with a modest county-level increase.

Barker said Park County’s contribution will rise 2.54% for the coming year and stressed that members benefit from pooling: “Private insurers are pressured to provide short term results to investors. You are Mako's priority, and this allows the PCT risk management authority to maintain stable rates even through volatile times.”

The change for Park County compares with a pool-average increase driven by the board’s adopted factors: 2% for inflation, 5% for liability and 4% for property, producing an overall pool average increase of 11%, Barker said. For Park County specifically, she said the amount of insured property rose by almost $1 million during the valuation period—building and contents up $573,000, vehicles up $264,000 and equipment up $101,000—partly explaining the county’s contribution movement.

Why it matters: the county must sign a formal renewal to bind coverage. Barker asked for a verbal confirmation to renew and said the county’s staff and brokers have completed required forms; commissioners agreed to place a motion to accept the renewal rates on next Tuesday’s agenda for formal action.

Key practical details discussed at the meeting: - Deadline for schedule changes: June 15. Items (vehicle additions, changes to actual cash values, newly purchased equipment) submitted by that date will be included in the July 1 renewal. Barker said, “we bind on the fifteenth, and then renewal date is July 1.” - Binding and timing: coverage renews July 1; changes after June 15 will not affect the next policy period. - Deductibles and rating: county deductibles do not change premium as sharply as personal lines; the actuarial structure keeps counties on a common footing across the pool. - Example of pool flexibility: Barker described a claim where a county discovered an unknown parcel with a $75,000 pump damaged by lightning. Mako treated the event as an honest mistake, and the county paid an estimated $2,250 (deductible plus prorated premium) instead of $75,000 under a commercial carrier schedule, because the item would have cost about $250 annually on the policy schedule.

Other administrative points: Barker noted members receive risk management services through Mako (litigation defense support, HR assistance, land-use guidance, finance support, and public safety risk assessments) and listed contacts for those services. Staff asked for any last changes and commissioners confirmed they would put a motion to approve the renewal on next Tuesday’s agenda.

Ending: No formal vote was taken at Tuesday’s meeting. Commissioners instructed staff to place a resolution to accept the renewal rates on the next meeting agenda; if adopted then, the renewal will be bound on the June 15 schedule and take effect July 1.