WARREN — Trumbull County will see the cost of its insurance increase from $825,384 in the contract that will end this week to $1,029,692, which is a net increase of 23.25%.

The county is under a self-insurance program called County Risk Sharing Authority, also known as CORSA. Because CORSA provides insurance for 72 out of 88 Ohio counties, it spreads the shared risks and shared benefits across all its members.

Trumbull County Human Resources Director Alexandra DeVengencie-Bush told the commissioners during Tuesday’s workshop that she warned the previous board nearly two years ago that rates could rise above $1 million.

CORSA was established by the County Commissioners Association of Ohio. The insurance fee schedule will include $314,144 for property, $603,609 for liability and $111,939 for county auto / fleet.

The county’s CORSA insurance premium in 2021 was $552,269 and has continually risen since then — to $593,125 in 2022, $721,681 in 2023 and $825,384 in 2024. The county’s general liability premium costs are increasing by 41%.

DeVengencie-Bush noted that premium costs are determined, in part, on claims that happened in the past.

“Liability insurance look back periods typically range from three to five years and claims history can stay on record for five to seven years,” she said. “This means insurance companies will review previous claim history to assess risk and set premiums going forward.”

Bush said the market, as a whole, saw an increase of 12.07% from 2024 to 2025. Trumbull County saw an additional 11% increase, which equals a 2025 net increase of 23.25%.

DeVengencie-Bush said the increased cost has been caused by a variety of issues over the years.

“When I came on board in 2022, we found 100 cars going into the next year, so, of course our insurance went up,” she said. “We have to report everything. I have to receive the title of the vehicles.”

The county has 375 vehicles.

Property insurance costs increased to $314,144.

“I want to encourage the board to not look at buying more property, but to use the properties that we have,” she said. “Unused and underused properties are costing the county money. It all adds up.”

Liability represents the largest of three buckets of costs. Liability includes general, public officials, law enforcement (including the jail) and foster parents. The other two costs include property and auto.

Lawsuits facing the county include wrongful deaths, unlawful discharge, as well as any other type involving county employees.

“It is not just lawsuits in the commissioners office,” she said.

DeVengencie-Bush estimates the county has 12 to 13 open lawsuits. She notes even those that have been closed and settled affect the county because it still has to pay whatever the court orders as part of the settlement.

Commissioner Denny Malloy questioned the impact the county has in connection with the lawsuit filed by Bazetta Township against Trumbull Auditor Martha Yoder.

“I don’t know,” she responded.

The court has not determined which party will be liable for the return of more than $80,000.

Malloy emphasized it should not be county taxpayers.

While its insurance costs have gone up, Alexandra-Bush told the commissioners the county is no longer on a warning phase with CORSA. The agency is not, as of now, threatening to drop its coverage of Trumbull County because of the numerous lawsuits.

It was being watched closely over the last two years. DeVengencie-Bush personally met with CORSA representatives in each of the years since she took the position as Human Resources Department director to discuss the possibility it could have been dropped from the CORSA insurance

She has been encouraging county leaders and employees to take preventive training courses, which could help individuals from getting into positions that could lead to lawsuits.

“If we target that bucket called public officials, we will be better in the long run,” DeVengencie-Bush said.