Garrett County Commissioner Gregan T. Crawford and Worcester County Attorney John “Sonny” Bloxom have been re-elected to new terms as county representatives on the  LGIT Board of Trustees.  LGIT is a non-profit association authorized by state law, wholly-owned and managed by its local government members. The Trust’s main purpose is to provide joint self-insurance programs or “pools” for towns, cities and counties in the State of Maryland. Rather than paying premiums to buy insurance from an insurance company, local governments contribute those premiums into a jointly-owned fund.

In some ways, LGIT functions like an insurance company. Maryland local governments pay a premium to LGIT, LGIT gives the member government a coverage document that looks like an insurance policy, and LGIT pays claims and losses on the member’s behalf. However, there are a few important differences.

LGIT is owned and managed by its member local governments. Its purpose is to meet local government risk management needs — not to make a profit by selling insurance. Because LGIT is a not-for-profit organization, if the Trust’s income from fees and investments is more than is needed to pay for losses and expenses, the excess funds may be returned to the members.