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Smith County approves TAC liability, property renewal including $1 million cyber option
Summary
The Smith County Commissioners Court voted June 17 to renew liability and property coverage through the Texas Association of Counties risk management pool for the July 1, 2025'June 30, 2026 term, approving the higher cyber limit after staff and consultants outlined rising loss ratios and deductible increases.
Smith County Commissioners on Tuesday voted to renew the county's liability and property insurance with the Texas Association of Counties (TAC) risk management pool and approved the $1 million cyber-insurance option.
Lisa McCaig, TAC risk management consultant, told the court the county's loss ratios are high in several lines, including law-enforcement liability and auto physical-damage. She said the law-enforcement deductible will increase from $50,000 to $100,000 and the public-officials deductible from $10,000 to $25,000 for the upcoming policy year. McCaig also described two stand-alone cyber options: a $1 million limit (option 1) and a $500,000 limit (option 2).
"Cyber coverage can be extensive in damages. So you need to make that consideration," Don Bell, county risk representative, told the court, urging a conservative approach to limits. The county auditor provided last year's premiums to help the court weigh the increase: liability-only premiums were $642,144 in 2024; property premiums were $288,902 last year and are proposed at $331,306 for the new term.
Commissioner Moore moved to renew the liability and property coverage with TAC and to select the $1 million cyber limit; Commissioner Carraway seconded. The motion carried with the court voting "aye" and no recorded opposition.
The court's packet lists two cyber-premium options and shows the higher-limit option's premium as $859,799 for the policy year; commissioners discussed the incremental annual premium difference between the $1 million and $500,000 cyber options during the meeting. The court did not change existing primary cyber arrangements previously approved with a private vendor; TAC's coverage will function as excess/supplemental to that provider.
The renewed package as presented keeps the county's existing suite of liability coverages but raises select deductibles and makes cyber coverage an explicit standalone line for the first time in the renewal materials.
