Commissioners tell highway staff insurance line will be moved out of highway fund

Commissioners informed highway staff that, to relieve pressure on the highway fund, the council will remove the group insurance line from the 1176 budget and seek other ways to cover those insurance costs.

The Chair told highway representatives: "We've decided to take the insurance out of the highway budget again," and recited Baker Tilly's projection that the 1176 fund could be $350,000 in the red by 2027 under prior assumptions. Highway staff discussed receivables and noted a new single‑lane mileage distribution that will add roughly $450,000 to restricted funds; commissioners said they will rework which line items remain in the highway fund versus restricted funds and will tell the highway superintendent how much relief to expect. The meeting produced a clear instruction to staff to explain precisely how the $470,000 will be shifted and how it will affect budgeted road work.

Next step: highway staff to provide a memo detailing the effect of removing the insurance line on receipts, reserves, and next steps for urgent bridge work.