After considering bids from two companies, Montezuma County Commissioners approved a liability insurance contract with Travelers Insurance for 2013 that results in a 10.5-percent increase over the current policy.
The Travelers policy, which costs $208,888, includes a $4,099 rider that will protect the county from cyber attacks and any resulting damage or information obtained by a third party.
The current policy with Trident Insurance costs $189,128, or $19,760 less than next years policy. Tridents bid for 2013 was $192,527, but it didnt include cyber liability or coverage for the county Health Department.
County Finance Director Amber Kingery said that six other companies initially expressed an interest in making a bid, including three local companies. Kingery said they dropped out primarily due to the number of claims, in particular auto claims, the county has had over the past two years.
The county made 10 auto insurance claims in 2011 and has had seven so far this year. Of these 17 claims, 12 were by the county sheriffs office, three of which were for hitting a deer.
The new policy with Travelers will include a $1,000 deductible instead of a $500 deductible. County Administrator Ashton Harrison said he wants to make each county department more cognizant of the cost of its claims.
calebs@cortezjournal.com