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Bonner County board debates tort fund, insurance deductibles and workers' compensation placeholders for the budget
Summary
Commissioners and the risk manager discussed expected changes to liability insurance costs after EMS left shared coverage, recommended a conservative placeholder for premiums and deductibles until quotes arrive, and directed analysis of workers' compensation trends and claims management tools.
Bonner County commissioners on Monday told the risk manager to plan conservatively for next year’s liability and deductible costs and to provide updated insurance quotes before the board adopts final budget figures.
The risk manager described ongoing uncertainty as the county awaited formal insurance quotes and noted a recent shift when EMS secured its own insurance coverage; commissioners said that change will reduce revenue into the county’s tort pool but does not eliminate liability exposure. The board discussed using a placeholder number for liability premiums and deductibles while the county obtains formal quotes.
Christian said he would prefer a larger cushion in the budget so the county would not need to ask general fund transfers when bills arrive; he said, “I'd rather have the budget be blown out to a million. I think that's more than I need,” and commissioners discussed a more modest placeholder range of $1.4 million to $1.5 million as a worst‑case planning figure until precise quotes are received.
On workers’ compensation, commissioners noted that the county’s experience modification rate (EMR) will not be set until mid‑December and that comp costs are lagging and driven by several departments (Road, Solid Waste, Community Service). Commissioners declined to reduce the workers’ compensation line sharply without objective evidence of decreased claims, though they acknowledged the tort fund currently holds substantial cash reserves — Christian noted the tort fund balance is approximately $1.3 million — and agreed some reserve can cover near‑term needs.
The board also directed the risk manager to evaluate claims‑management software and processes. Commissioners said better claims closure and tracking could lower future premiums and EMR; they asked Christian to present options for claims management tools and a timeline for closing older claims.
No final budget numbers were adopted. Commissioners asked for insurance quotes and a follow‑up presentation before the budget is finalized.
