BOCC discusses insurance rate reasoning

POMEROY–The Garfield County Board of Commissioners (BOCC) approved a supplier contract, passed modifications to the monument preservation policy, and discussed the details of insurance rate increase at their meeting on January 8.

The board approved a contract with the Washington Department of Enterprise Services, a use agreement for designated goods and services. The contract creates the option for the county to obtain certain goods and services from the Department, should the need arise. There is no particular project associated with this contract.

The BOCC also approved resolution 2024-02, modifying the monument preservation policy. Some changes were made to training and contracting parts of the policy to align with new Washington State County Road Administration Board requirements.

The Commissioners met with Garfield County's insurance agent Adam Hodges, of Obenland & Low, as well as representatives from the county's insurance provider Washington Counties Risk Group (WCRG), to discuss the reasons behind the 2024 rate increase. Three main factors led to the large increase, which was unprecedented in WCRG. The insurance market, in Washington State especially but also both nationally and globally, is facing increased rates. A second factor was three claims that the group settled just prior to determining the rates, which pushed costs higher, and thirdly the legal environment of Washington State being unconducive to insurance. Particular attention was drawn to the hardship that joint and several liability has become for both insurance companies and insureds. WCRG has several strategies that they are working on to combat the raised rates including increasing the accuracy of property evaluation, trainings to lower risk probabilities, and lobbying for limits on joint and several liability.