Committee moves to remove $100,000 year‑end cap on Liability and Casualty Reserve Fund

The Ways and Means Committee voted to advance an amendment to Local Law No. 8 of 2010 that would remove a provision limiting the Liability and Casualty Reserve Fund to $100,000 at the end of any fiscal year.

Acting Risk Management Officer Richard B. Golden told the committee that, under Section 6‑n of the General Municipal Law, counties may establish reserve funds for liabilities the county must pay itself and then set reserve levels. He said the $100,000 limitation is out of step with the county’s current insurance structure: "When he looked at that law, it said that funds cannot, at the end of the year, be worth more than $100,000. It does not make any sense to him because you need money in the fund in order to pay for whenever something happens." Golden noted Orange County commonly carries a large self‑insured retention—paying up to $1 million before excess coverage applies—and that the county handles several hundred litigation matters at any given time.

Committee member Robert C. Sassi moved the change; the motion carried with all members voting in favor. The transcript records the motion being seconded by DeShanda T. Carter and recorded as "Motion carried. All in favor." The committee did not record a detailed vote tally in the transcript.

Why it matters: removing the cap would allow the county to accumulate a larger reserve to pay settlements, judgments and other liabilities without relying on year‑end transfers or increased borrowing. The amendment references General Municipal Law Section 6‑n as the statutory framework for the reserve.