Aransas County approves property and windstorm insurance renewal, opts for layered policy and deductible buy-down

Aransas County Commissioners on a special-call meeting approved renewal of the county's property and windstorm insurance for the period beginning March 3, 2025, through March 2026 and authorized county staff to execute the basic premium and related policy endorsements.

The vote follows a presentation from Blake McDavid of GSM Insurers, who described a stabilized but fragile insurance marketplace and outlined two primary options for the county's coverage. The court approved the private-carrier layered option referred to in the meeting as Option 1 and directed staff to pursue a buy-down of the named-storm deductible to 1 percent.

The approval matters because Aransas County carries roughly $35 million to $36 million in insured value on its current schedule and is preparing to add additional facilities, including a community center and a new courthouse, which will increase total insured value. That concentration of value near the coast requires a layered…