Jennings County votes to increase cyber insurance to $2 million

The Jennings County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to pursue $2,000,000 in cyber insurance coverage with a $50,000 deductible after staff presented renewal quotes and a recommendation to increase limits.

Staff member (S5) told the board the county’s current policy provides $1,000,000 per-occurrence coverage with a $50,000 deductible and that last year’s premium was $13,002.30. The county received renewal quotes that included both $1,000,000 and $2,000,000 limits with deductible options of $25,000 or $50,000; S5 said, “David is recommending you look at the $2,000,000 limit.”

Committee members questioned whether $1,000,000 is adequate for county exposure and discussed rising costs for coverage. Committee member (S3) said he personally would support moving to $2,000,000 with the $50,000 deductible to increase protection while limiting short-term outlays. Committee member (S2) made the motion to select the $2,000,000 option with the $50,000 deductible; Chair (S3) seconded and the board recorded a unanimous vote.

The board also discussed how liability and other insurance items are budgeted and noted that annual premiums have been increasing; staff said additional appropriations may be needed later in the year if premiums exceed budgeted amounts. The board directed staff to notify the county’s insurance contact (David) of the chosen coverage level and to proceed with the renewal before any penalty date noted by the carrier.

The commissioners did not record individual roll-call votes on the public record during the meeting; the motion was approved by unanimous voice vote.

The next administrative step is for staff to finalize the insurer selection and adjust budget lines if necessary.