Newport commissioners approve renewal of city property and workers’ compensation insurance after brokers cite larger discounts

The Newport Board of Commissioners on June 29 approved Commissioner's Order No. 54 to renew the city’s property and workers’ compensation insurance.

Dan Martin of Shured Partners and Gallagher Insurance told commissioners the city faces a 5% year‑over‑year increase in premiums driven by added exposures such as vehicles and higher payrolls, and that “when we take that out of it, it's a 1.7% increase in our rates.” He said the city’s safety‑program improvements produced higher point scores with the Kentucky League of Cities and that those improved scores translated into larger discounts compared with the prior year. “Last year our discounts equated to $27,600,” Martin said. “This year it's 53,23. So that's an additional $25,522 of additional savings” (quote as stated in the transcript).

The broker attributed the savings to reinstating the city safety program and related departmental work; commissioners asked follow‑up questions about the nature of recent workers’ compensation claims and whether they were concentrated in any single department. Martin said claims were spread across departments and that some were “freak accidents” outside predictable trends.

Steve Crawford of Crawford Insurance/Assured Partners urged the board to consider whether the city’s institutional liability limit — described in the presentation as six million — should be revisited in future planning.

The board voted to approve Commissioner's Order No. 54 by roll call; Commissioners Redwansky, Vice Mayor Smith Marorrow, Commissioner Rectton, Commissioner Sutherland and Mayor Kadulli recorded votes in favor.

The approval maintains the city’s current insurance partners and directs staff to proceed with the renewal terms presented by the brokers. Commissioners did not adopt an immediate change to liability limits; staff and brokers indicated any change to limits would be a separate policy decision.