Calhoun County Supervisors opted to take on some risk for the chance to save the county close to $40,000 on property insurance at last Thursday’s meeting of the board.
The board was debating between two proposals – one from the current provider, Zurich, and the other a new group plan offered by the Mississippi Association of Supervisors (MAS).
Sonny Clanton
The MAS plan is approximately $42,000 cheaper in annual premium cost, but does come with the possibility of the county having to pay more if claims in other counties were to escalate and draw down the funds in the pool.
“Neither proposal is 100% better than the other,” Attorney Sonny Clanton said. “Both have positives and negatives.”
“It’s a dilemma, we can save money right now, but we don’t know that we won’t have to pay more down the line. It’s a gamble,” Clanton said.
“I really believe if our association hadn’t stepped in, there’s no telling what our insurance cost may be,” Board President Barney Wade said, who is a past president of MAS. “I don’t see how we can turn down that $42,000 and try it.”
The Zurich proposal is $7,000 more than the county paid last year and MAS is $35,000 less. But Clanton pointed out that the law enforcement coverage isn’t where it needs to be so that will have to be raised which will cut into those savings.
The MAS plan also runs April-April so in three months the county will have to re-negotiate.
MAS currently has 28 counties enrolled in the group plan, which makes it the largest provider for counties in the state with Zurich just behind.
After a conference call with MAS Director Derrick Surrette, the board agreed to go with the MAS plan.
In other news, the board agreed to purchase a garbage truck for $30,000 from Union County to replace one that burned at the solid waste department one night.
The fire started in the engine after everyone had gone home and destroyed everything but the bed of the truck.
The board approved the purchase of 2,700 gallons of fuel for the airport at a price of $3.04, almost one dollar cheaper than what the county had to pay earlier this year.
They agreed to advertise for pile driving in case it’s needed during 2015.
The board agreed to look at rules for rental of the county-owned building on top of the hill above the multi-purpose center to make certain it includes a no alcohol provision, given the recent election in Pittsboro.
Supervisor Earnest Fox asked the board to think about options for a dressing room at the multi-purpose facility.
“We have a lot of singings out there and groups need a place they can change clothes,” Fox said. “We need to consider some kind of way to provide a dressing room.”