Boiling Springs pivots with tough decision after 5 decades
- Chuck Thompson
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – The meeting was civil Tuesday night as the Town of Boiling Springs Council made a historic change to its insurance carrier after a half-century.
Previously, at the June 2 meeting, it was suggested that the town government was allegedly being unethical by springing this upon their current provider, to which Council Member Ron Wood later spoke up to rebuke the notion.
“…The disappointment we have is, we feel it wasn’t done ethically,” said Ashley Goins to the council members during the June 2 meeting, speaking on the notion that the town sprung the news that they were searching for a lower rate without allegedly giving the current provider enough time to put together a competitive package quote.
Wood responded a few moments later, stating, “I take offense to us basically being called unethical. I don’t think our town manager or our board operates unethically; so, uh, I take offense to that statement.”
After the Boiling Springs Town Council voted to table the insurance discussion at their regularly scheduled June 2 meeting, and giving each competing insurance agency a little more time to prepare, the issue was voted on Tuesday night, June 9.
Before a vote was taken, the North Carolina League of Municipalities (NCLM) and the town’s current insurance company, Maxwell B. Hamrick Insurance Agency, both made their pitch to the town council about their own policies, what would be covered and the cost entailed.
The North Carolina League of Municipalities operates specialized insurance and risk management trusts for local governments. By pooling resources, they provide cities and towns with workers' compensation, property and casualty, and liability coverage designed specifically for municipal operations.
The representative for NCLM answered questions and concerns from the town council before it was Maxwell B Hamrick Insurance Agency’s turn to do the same.
Hamrick, founded in 1953 by Maxwell B. Hamrick, the Maxwell B. Hamrick Insurance Agency began as a small home-based operation in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. Over the decades, it grew into a multi-generational, full-service independent agency serving the Cleveland and Rutherford County regions. They have served the Boiling Springs area and been patrons of the community for eight decades and been the primary insurance agent for the Town of Boiling Springs for roughly 50 years.
Once the grilling of questions had subsided, it was absolute silence for a moment to the point everyone could hear each other inhale and exhale.
After the silence broke, there were a few more procurement rules, vendor contracts and technical specifics that the board weighed in on or what the administration handles was briefly discussed before Bill Ellis put a motion on the floor to retain Hamrick, which did not move forward due to the lack of the motion gaining a second.
Ron Wood made the motion to accept the resolution from the NCLM; that was seconded and carried by a vote of 4-1.
Wood added, “I have nothing against Hamrick Insurance or the Hamrick family. All that the Hamrick family has done for the Town of Boiling Springs is much appreciated, but I feel some of this is personal and it shouldn’t be.”
(Historic change continued below...)
Wood spoke on his own insurance experience as a customer. He was curious why someone wouldn’t shop for a better rate for insurance and mortgage rate. He noted that cheaper isn’t always better, but for the town it was his responsibility to save the town $100,000.
“This has to be a business decision not a personal decision,” Wood explained, noting he hoped the council would move forward and put it behind them and carry on with town business.
Council member Ellis said after 50 years plus, to pull the rug out from under them without them seeing it coming was the wrong choice.
“It’s the fact we have a business that has done tremendous stuff in this town, and it bothers me,” said Ellis. “Think about it - all of sudden we don’t take care of one of our businesses that has been here 50 years?”
Council Member Patrick Litton said for him it was purely about cost, not personal. He later told The Independent that he diligently compared coverage and prices. “We were building questions around numbers and all the financial stats to give us the best decision. We're the local government responsible to our citizens and taxpayers. I think Hamrick is an excellent business; this was a tough decision. Leadership isn’t easy and it’s nothing personal; I felt like we did what was best for the town.”
After the meeting, Mayor Tommy Greene spoke to The Independent, mentioning his admiration for Hamrick Insurance and hopes everyone will understand it was in the best interest for the taxpayer.
“We made the right decision,” Mayor Tommy Greene said, “Hamrick Insurance is a fine business and they’re very charitable; a fine business. It’s nothing personal; it’s just business. And they’re friends of mine – I hope they’re still my good friends. It’s nothing against them at all; they provide great insurance coverage, and we had to make the best decision for the town. $100,000 is a considerable amount of money and that’s a tough choice to make.”
Council member Justin Davis also spoke on his thoughts post-meeting, adding, “I appreciate the work that staff put into reviewing the options, and I also appreciate the long-standing relationship the Town has had with Hamrick Insurance. That history matters.
"For me, this decision came down to coverage, risk, and value for the taxpayers. After reviewing the information provided, I felt NCLM was the responsible choice because it offered comparable protection, additional municipal-specific value, and significant savings for the Town. As elected officials, we have a responsibility to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars and make fiscally responsible decisions."
Davis concluded, stating, “This was not a personal decision. It was a decision about what I believe is in the best interest of Boiling Springs.”
The next regularly scheduled Boiling Springs Town Council meeting will be held on July 7, at 6:30 p.m.
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Chuck Thompson is a reporter and columnist for The Shelby Independent.
The Shelby Independent.