Commission keeps county insurance with EMC via TrustPoint, opts to maintain $5,000 auto deductible

County insurance brokers presented comparative quotes from Travelers and EMC and provided options for deductible changes and coverage limits. Brokers explained credits for moving deductibles, adding cyber limits and increasing umbrella coverage; they also reported Travelers can offer some items but with higher wind/hail deductibles on certain high-value buildings.

After the brokers’ presentation, the commission voted to renew the county’s 2025 insurance package with TrustPoint Insurance of Burlington and to remain with EMC for the bulk of coverages. Commissioners discussed but declined to increase the county’s auto deductibles to $10,000, concluding that the $5,000 deductible was more cost effective given the county’s loss history and the way EMC applies deductibles per occurrence.

Why it matters: Insurance selections affect county exposure to loss and annual premium. Staff and brokers said EMC’s presentation included several improvements — replacement-cost treatment for certain properties, coverage for sheriff’s drones and clarified defense coverage for subsidiary public entities — that weighed in EMC’s favor.

Details: The county asked for several pricing scenarios during the prior meeting. Brokers returned with: credits for raising some deductibles to $10,000 (with differing savings by carrier), pricing to increase cyber limits from $500,000 to $1 million, and pricing to raise an umbrella limit to $2 million. The brokers recommended retaining EMC at the current $5,000 wind/hail and auto deductibles; commissioners approved the renewal on a voice vote.

Next steps: Insurance staff will finalize policy documents with TrustPoint and EMC and place premiums on next fiscal accounting actions per county procedure.