Jim, a risk-management consultant representing the Minnesota Counties Insurance Trust (MCIT), told McLeod County commissioners the pool's expenses have increased in recent years largely because of inflation, higher property values and rising reinsurance prices. MCIT is a county-run risk pool formed in 1979 that covers 81 Minnesota counties.

MCIT said global reinsurance rates have climbed sharply; the pool increased its retention level from $850,000 to $1,000,000 in 2025 to reduce premium pressure. Commissioners were shown that the total property values insured across MCIT's membership rose from about $6.6 billion in 2021 to about $9.2 billion in 2025, a change MCIT attributed mostly to inflation and some new construction.

The presentation also covered workers' compensation performance. MCIT said McLeod County's five-year experience modification was 0.965, roughly 3.5% better than the county-size average, and explained how the mod is calculated and how it affects premiums. MCIT recommended continued emphasis on safety programs and offered loss-control support through a named county consultant.

On cybersecurity, MCIT reviewed a surge of cyber claims in 2023 ($1.7 million) that fell in 2024 after counties adopted employee training and bolstered technical protections. MCIT said its cyber/extortion sublimit is $500,000; that funding covers extortion payments, forensics, eradication of intruders and restoration efforts. Commissioners asked whether ransom payments had been made; MCIT said some payments occurred in 2023 and that decisions about paying attackers are made using consultants and case-specific analysis.

Commissioners asked whether joint powers entities were covered when a claim arose during a joint project. MCIT acknowledged that joint powers liability claims have nuances and agreed to follow up with the board to clarify why a particular earlier claim may not have been picked up by the pool.

The presentation ended with an offer of continued training resources, webinars and on-site loss-control assistance. MCIT said dividends are returned to counties when the pool performs well and noted that the trust has operated in the black since its formation.