Chickasaw County lowers vendor umbrella insurance requirement to $2 million

The Chickasaw County Board of Supervisors voted April 6 to lower the county’s umbrella insurance requirement for vendors and general contractors from $4 million to $2 million per occurrence and in the aggregate.

Board members described calls from small vendors and service providers — pest control, small supply vendors and local tradespeople — saying the higher umbrella figure imposed an excessive burden. One supervisor said other counties handle large contractors case-by-case while smaller vendors are not held to the same level.

During discussion members and staff noted that some vendors already purchased $4 million policies, and that lowering the requirement could allow vendors to request refunds or cancel unneeded coverage. The board’s motion sets $2 million as the new minimum for umbrella coverage for all county vendors and contractors.

The motion passed by voice vote (mover: Scott; seconder: Isaac). The policy change will apply to future vendor contracts and county purchasing procedures; staff will incorporate the revised language into the county’s insurance and vendor requirements documents.