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Supervisors debate flood sublimits and workers' compensation costs as insurance bill rises
Summary
County staff described increases in excess-flood insurance valuations and recommended evaluating flood sublimits; supervisors and staff also discussed workers' compensation premiums and the county's plan to go to market for coverage while considering claims-management strategies.
County staff told supervisors the valuation used to compute an excess-flood policy rose significantly, driving a higher premium this year for the county and similarly situated entities.
"The valuation went up 56 percent," the presenter said, noting the county paid about $2,333 last year and is now seeing charges of $3,577 for a particular policy line. He said the county maintains a flood sublimit of $50 million for the coast and is pursuing confirmation from FEMA that using that sublimit will allow the county to reduce or retire some excess-flood policies when FEMA requirements are satisfied.
The presenter said some previously granted waivers were later rescinded by FEMA leadership, a history that prompted caution. "My hope is that we can do away with some of these excess flood policies that not only Harrison County is purchasing, but other entities are purchasing on the coast," he said, "but we don't want to do away with [policies] ... until we have that in writing."
Supervisors then addressed county workers' compensation costs. The board was presented with the quarterly invoice for the 2025 coverage year and an annualized exposure figure that staff described as near $1 million. A payment of $248,113.25 was approved for Mississippi Public Entity Workers' Comp covering the policy period listed on the invoice.
During discussion, supervisors and staff described how the premium is calculated from payroll and job-classification rates (clerical versus law enforcement, for example). One speaker said the rate differential between clerical and law enforcement rates can exceed tenfold.
Board members asked about claims management and investigation. Staff said they plan to take the workers' compensation program to market and to convene a technical meeting with claims adjusters and county staff to review stratified claims data and identify potential cost-saving changes in administration and deductible structure.
One supervisor noted past efforts to contest questionable claims and urged more front-end investigation to reduce long-term premium pressure. Staff said the county has the right to investigate specific claims and can seek new carriers if performance or cost is unsatisfactory.
Ending: The board approved the workers' compensation payment and directed staff to pursue a market review and internal meetings with the adjuster to explore administrative and deductible options.
