Luzerne County Council held a brief special meeting Monday solely to approve a workers’ compensation insurance renewal to save the county money.
The premium is $129,501 for 2026, and the county administration learned it can lock in that same rate for 2027 if the county commits to a two-year renewal before the end of this year, the agenda submission said.
Council approval was needed because the county’s home rule charter requires council authorization for any contract or obligation that would result in a payment of more than $25,000 in any future calendar year for which no budget has been adopted.
The amount of the savings is unknown, the agenda said. The 2027 premium likely would increase without a two-year renewal, but the 2027 premium amount would not be calculated until the fall of 2026, the agenda said.
This differs from the explanation provided last week. County Chief Solicitor Harry W. Skene had informed council in an email last week the total savings would be more than $50,000 because the annual premium would be reduced from $155,011 to $129,501 with a two-year agreement.
The administration said Monday the $155,011 figure was not applicable in this situation because that was the cost of a policy option not pursued.
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