County Commission | The Magazine May 2019

FR O M THE C OVER I n s uri n g C o u nt y G o v er n m e nt s a s pect ac ular gr o wt h stre a k hits t he 1 0- ye ar mar k, it see ms t o be t he pr o per ti me t o gi ve t he A C C A Self- F u n de d I ns ura nce Pr o gra ms t heir d ue as o ne of t he m ost val u a ble me m ber ser vices a n d m ost s uccessf ul i nitiati ves t his Ass ociati o n has e ver u n dert a ke n. Here are a fe w of t he m ost telli n g d at a p oi nts: 1. Me m b ers hi p Gr o wt h: To d a y, m ore t ha n 9 0 % of Ala ba ma c o u nties partici pate i n o ne or m ore A C C A i ns ura nce pr o gra ms – w or kers’ c o m pe nsati o n, lia bilit y a n d pr o pert y. 2. Fi n a nci al Str e n gt h: Net assets f or t he f u n ds ha ve gr o w n 2 8 8 % a n d 1 8 7 %, res pecti vel y, o ver t he past 1 0 ye ars. 1970s At t h e ti m e, t h e Al a b a m a H o u s e a n d S e n at e still m et i n t h e hi st ori c c a pit ol b uil di n g. 1978 Wit h 5 3 m e m b er c o u nti e s, t h e w or k er s’ c o m p e n s ati o n pr o gr a m c o m pl et e d it s fir st y e ar of o p er ati o n b y r et ur ni n g n e arl y $ 6 0, 0 0 0 t o m e m b er s wit h l o w l o s s r ati o s. C h e c k s w er e pr e s e nt e d at A C C A’ s 5 0t h A n n u al C o n v e nti o n. 12 | M AY 2019 4. S af et y S a vi n gs: D ue i n l ar ge part t o partici p ati o n i n t he F u n ds’ s afet y pr o gr a ms, a s u bst a nti al n u m ber of me m bers h a ve see n t heir pre mi u m- c o ntri b uti o ns de cli ne. I n ter ms of perc e nt a ge of t ot al p a yr oll, t he a ver a ge c ost of w or kers’ c o m pe ns ati o n c o ver a ge h as dr o p pe d 2 p oi nts si nc e 2 0 0 9. B a c k gr o u n d i n a N ut s h ell “ F or m a n y, m a n y ye ars, c o u nties utiliz e d t he tr a diti o n al i ns ur a nc e m ar ket t o m a n a ge e x pe nses rel ate d t o li a bilit y a n d pr o pert y cl ai ms a n d/ or t o e ns ure be ne ﬁts 1980s 1986 1976 T h e Al a b a m a L e gi sl at ur e a ut h oriz e d cr e ati o n of a w or k er s’ c o m p e n s ati o n s elf-i n s ur a n c e f u n d f or c o u nti e s. 3. M o n et ar y B e n e ﬁts: M o ne y is re g ul arl y ret ur ne d t o me m bers i n t he f or m of s afet y i nc e nti ves, i n vest me nt e ar ni n gs a n d l o n ge vit y b o n uses. C he c ks t ot ali n g $ 3, 3 2 0, 2 0 0 we nt o ut i n A pril, t o be f oll o we d b y a n esti m ate d $ 1, 2 5 0, 0 0 0 m ore. B uil di n g o n t h e s u c c e s s of t h e w or k er s’ c o m p e n s ati o n pr o gr a m, c o u nti e s r e c ei v e d a ut h oriz ati o n fr o m t h e Al a b a m a L e gi sl at ur e t o e st a bli s h a si mil ar f u n d f or li a bilit y c o v er a g e. 1988 I n it s fir st y e ar of o p er ati o n, pr e mi u m- c o ntri b uti o n s t ot al e d $ 2. 2 milli o n f or t h e li a bilit y F u n d, w hi c h b o a st e d p arti ci p ati o n fr o m 2 8 c o u nti e s. 1990s 1993 Ei g ht c o u nti e s w er e r e c o g niz e d f or t h eir o ut st a n di n g s af et y r e c or d s i n t h e i n a u g ur al y e ar of t h e li a bilit y F u n d’ s s af et y a w ar d s pr o gr a m: C al h o u n, C h a m b er s, C off e e, G e n e v a, L e e, Li m e st o n e, J acks o n a n d R u s s ell. m A

County Commission | The Magazine May 2019 | Page 12