Crawford County received somewhat of a gift in the way of insurance dividends.
Ray Ryan, with Ryan Insurance, the county’s insurance agent for property and workman’s compensation, said that the county earned a dividend check for $73,925.42 for the period of 2009-2010 and another check for $41,403 for 2008-2009.
It marks the first time in four years that the county has received any dividend check from EMC Insurance Companies, the county’s insurance underwriter.
But, the extra checks came as a big surprise to, not just the Crawford County Commission, but to Ryan himself.
EMC also insures Kiowa County and, for the 2008-2009 period, there was little doubt that there would be no dividends paid out to the 40 counties that are under the EMC umbrella. That was the time period that EMC paid claims for a tornado that destroyed most of Greensburg, which is located in Kiowa County.
“Under the contract, there was a stop-loss and they went over that which is why the county got another check,” Ryan said.
According to EMC, the counties in the Kansas County Safety Dividend Group shared the developed dividend of $731,176.72 for the 2008-09 time period. For 2009-2010, that developed dividend shared was $1,236,552.15.
The dividend for each county is calculated based not on individual losses but on group experience as a whole, according to EMC.
The checks will deposit into the county’s general fund where their workman’s compensation insurance is paid from.
“That is certainly good news,” said Commissioner Linda Grilz. “For this time, its very important to get this.”
Commissioners made no indication as to what the additional money would be used for. The county can use the money as carryover to 2011, but that decision was not made.
Nonetheless, Ryan was more than giddy when he presented the checks to commissioners.
“I feel just like Santa Claus,” Ryan quipped.
