Fargo, North Dakota, to Cease Self-Insuring for Liability

Fargo’s finance director says the city likely will switch from its self-insured liability plan to the North Dakota Insurance Reserve Fund by next year.

Finance Director Kent Costin said moving away from the self-insured plan should help the city stabilize costs.

The change comes after two major settlements. The city recently paid $450,000 to the family of 8-year-old Amanda Leininger, who died as a result of a Dec. 10 crash on a rutted street.

The city also is preparing to refund up to $1.5 million to drivers who were charged more for traffic fines than state law allowed.

The CEO of the North Dakota Insurance Reserve Fund, Steve Spilde, says most North Dakota cities are members. He said the not-for-profit fund was created in 1986 to help political subdivisions.

Information from: The Forum, www.in-forum.com