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Council tables $61,676 workman's-comp appropriation after insurance briefing; training suggested to reduce future premiums
Summary
An additional appropriation of $61,676.45 to cover increased workers’ compensation costs was tabled after staff noted an existing $80,000 line item may cover the bill. An insurance representative said recent claims drove Dominion County's experience modification up and recommended free risk-management training to lower future costs.
The Dominion County Council tabled an additional appropriation request for $61,676.45 intended to cover higher 2025 workers’ compensation charges for county buildings and structures.
County staff and commissioners discussed an existing line item (identified during the meeting as account 124000 with an $80,000 balance) that may already cover the renewal payment. Because that account’s availability was uncertain, a motion to table the requested appropriation passed by voice vote so staff could verify whether a claims adjustment or existing funds could be used instead.
Before the motion to table, a county insurance and risk representative briefed the council on the recent rise in the county’s experience modification and how claims are driving rates. The representative said, “If you're at a one's experience modification, you don't get surcharge...If you have claims that you continue to get a discount, like last year, the county was at 0.77,” and contrasted that with the current 1.51 experience modification. He described that shift as producing a significant surcharge and tied the increase to an uptick in claims costs.
The representative provided claim-counts and recent history: three claims in 2022, eight in 2023 and eight in 2024, with 2023 showing a notably larger dollar total for paid claims. He recommended the county pursue available risk-management and safety training — including free certified OSHA trainers available through ASTRA — and directed departments to engage with risk management to lower future claims and premiums.
Council members asked how long claims affect rates; the representative said claims commonly remain on the experience modification for about three years and that improvements in frequency and severity can reduce rates over time. The council directed staff to check the $80,000 line-item and return with a recommendation at the next meeting.
Action: the appropriation request for $61,676.45 was tabled pending confirmation of existing funds or claims adjustments.
