Jennings County approves insurance renewal and raises business-auto deductible to $5,000

David, a presenter to the Jennings County commissioners, summarized the county’s insurance renewal process and recommended adjustments aimed at lowering future premiums. He told the board that a Liberty Mutual underwriter who visited the county and her manager were receptive to the county’s safety work and that the renewal quoted so far was “somewhere in the 5 to 6% range.”

David explained that the county’s worker-comp experience modifier rose from 1.36 to 1.46 and that the county’s worker-comp loss ratio is about 58 percent — below the 68 percent breakeven that underwriters often cite. He said that recent large claims and a multi-year lag in experience-rating mean some above‑average results will persist before the mod improves.

Commissioners discussed options to reduce premiums, including raising the business-auto deductible from $2,500 to $5,000. Board members and staff noted several departments had added vehicles in recent years and said they would work to remove surplus vehicles where possible. After discussion, a commissioner moved to adopt the $5,000 deductible option and the board voted unanimously to implement the change. The board then voted unanimously to approve the insurance renewal at the proposed rate after the deductible change.

Why it matters: Raising the deductible reduces near-term premium expense but increases the county’s exposure to individual auto claims. County staff said vehicle counts, department reporting and continued safety committee work will be used to manage that exposure and help lower the worker-comp mod over time.

What’s next: Staff will provide the renewal documentation and signature pages; commissioners said they would review department vehicle lists before the next renewal.