By By JOHN EBY / Niles Daily Star
CASSOPOLIS -- After leveling off a year, Cass County's insurance coverage costs are continuing to climb sharply. The county has maintained property and liability insurance on its buildings, equipment and operations since Feb. 1,1985, with the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority (MMRMA) MMRMA, based in Livonia, is one of the largest municipal risk management pools in the country. Cass County has bid its property and liability insurance in the past, but elected to stay with MMRMA. Effective July 1, 2002, Cass County switched from a state pool membership to an individual membership with MMRMA to stabilize its premium rates, which had shot up 20.04 percent in 2001-2002 from $191,591 to $229,980. Another 12.85-percent jump for 2003-2004 makes the premium $258,850.
It had been $48,000 from 1985 to 1989, when it leaped more than 28 percent to $61,480, then by another 42.8 percent to $87,792.
During a four-year period from 1989-1993, the smallest hike was 20.92 percent. The plan year spans July 1-June 30.
The new Law and Courts Building and E-911 central dispatch center contribute to the latest cost increase.