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County broker Alliant briefs commissioners on softened property market, cyber risk; broker fee disclosed
Summary
Alliant Insurance Services presented the state of the property, liability and cyber insurance markets and described services available to Brazos County; the broker confirmed a flat annual fee and staff and the county CISO asked questions about cyber coverage and network testing.
Alliant Insurance Services presented to the Brazos County Commissioners Court on Sept. 30 on the state of the insurance market and the company’s role as the county’s contracted broker.
Carlene Patterson, national public sector and higher education practice leader for Alliant, told the court that Alliant was hired through a solicitation process in 2020 and that the firm “is the largest public entity broker in the United States” and can leverage broad market relationships on the county’s behalf. Patterson said the firm meets annually with county risk management to shape renewal strategy and noted improvements in the property market since 2020 that have softened rates for some coverages.
Patterson explained that property insurers track a combined ratio (claims paid vs. premiums collected) and that recent positive results and higher interest rates have improved carriers’ investment returns, contributing to lower rates for some public-entity property coverage. She described drivers of market pressure — increased frequency of convective storms, freeze claims, wildfires and rising repair costs for vehicles — that affect property and liability markets. On cyber risk, Patterson said public entities remain frequent targets and that the “hugest value in having a cyber liability policy is that you get the breach response” services such as forensic investigators and breach coaches.
Commissioner Brown asked the firm to state its contract fee. Patterson said Alliant bid a flat annual fee; later in the meeting she confirmed the amount the firm quoted in the county’s solicitation: $25,000 per year.
County CISO Kevin Joyner participated in the Q&A about cyber coverage. Joyner said the county had not experienced a successful denial-of-service incident or an account compromise during the year the county held the current cyber policy. He discussed services the carrier and vendor network can provide, including phishing-resistant tokens and breach-response support. Joyner said such services were useful beyond ransomware response because cyber incidents can include social‑engineering attempts that affect financial processes.
Why it matters: The presentation clarifies the county’s commercial insurance posture and what risk-management services are included with cyber liability coverage. Commissioners used the opportunity to confirm costs and ask how the county’s security posture is being supported by carrier services.
Ending: The court received the presentation and asked staff to continue annual market review and to prioritize targeted cyber security investments where they add the most protection.
"We have a lot of leverage in the insurance market and so we can get the best results for you," Patterson said during the presentation. "The biggest value in having a cyber liability policy is that you get the breach response," she added. CISO Kevin Joyner said, "We haven't had any accounts that have been compromised in the year that we've had this insurance."
