Chico Details $750,000 Self-Insured Retention for City Liability and Workers’ Compensation

CHICO, Butte County — October 23, 2026. California58 Local examined the city’s official October 20 council agenda. The premeeting agenda establishes the issues under consideration; it does not by itself establish a final vote or future outcome.

What did the report explain?

Chico’s October 20 council informational materials describe its use of self-insurance, public-agency risk-sharing pools and conventional insurance to manage city losses. The municipality participates in CJPRMA for excess general liability and PRISM for excess workers’ compensation, according to the published staff summary.

What are the amounts?

The agenda says Chico maintains a $750,000 self-insured retention for both programs. It also reports property and vehicle coverage deductibles of $250,000 and $10,000 respectively through CJPRMA. These figures describe parts of the city’s insurance arrangements; they are not the amount of an actual lawsuit settlement or an annual taxpayer bill.

Why review risk management publicly?

An insurance program must consider which losses the city can absorb and which risks to transfer through pools or policies. Public accountability requires reviewing premiums, claims, deductibles and coverage exclusions in context, not assuming any larger retention is inherently wasteful or cost-saving.

Was council being asked to vote?

The staff summary explicitly labels the risk management overview informational, with no action requested. It came in response to a Finance Committee request previously approved by council. Residents can seek the report’s full supporting detail and ask how the retention fits into the adopted budget.

Official record: Chico City Council, October 20 agenda and reports ↗. Chico News · California58 local newspapers · California classifieds · Send corrections · Support local journalism.

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