Daniels County OKs 133% agent commission, authorizes insurance claim for sheriff SUV

The Daniels County Board of Commissioners voted to accept J. Perry Wolf as the county's insurance agent at a 133% commission rate and, in a separate motion, approved filing an insurance claim for a county sheriff vehicle that was sideswiped during a traffic stop.

Commissioners made both motions by voice vote with no recorded opposition. The board’s actions covered two steps: formally naming Perry Wolf as agent for 2024–25 and moving forward with the county’s insurance claim on the 2022 Ford Explorer assigned to the sheriff’s office.

The claim discussion centered on the highway-control report and an estimated damage figure for the Explorer. Staff noted that the county’s insurer will pursue subrogation against the at-fault party’s carrier and that recoveries typically return funds to the county to cover deductibles if successful. One staff speaker summarized the practice: that subrogation will be pursued and that, even if a ticket is or is not issued, it generally does not change the factual basis for an insurer’s recovery effort.

The board also acknowledged other pending deductible charges described by staff: a $5,000 deductible for a civil-rights suit and a $2,000 deductible for a motor-grader incident that backed into a pump. Commissioners said these items would be handled under the county’s insurance procedures.

The motions recorded were: (1) accept Perry Wolf as insurance agent at 133% commission (motion carried) and (2) authorize staff to submit the insurance claim for the sheriff’s vehicle and pursue recovery (motion carried). No individual roll-call votes were recorded in the transcript; approvals were taken by voice with no opposition.

Next steps: staff will file the claim with the county insurer and pursue subrogation per the insurer’s process; commissioners did not set any additional conditions at the time of the vote.