Newly elected public officials are responsible for their constituents and must accomplish some goals when they get into the office. As your clients settle into their new role, they must secure a public officials liability policy and develop plans for office success.

Newly Elected Officials Should Prioritize

A few things can help you succeed as your client navigates their extra responsibilities, and they should prioritize some things. 

Start With Public Officials Liability Insurance

When the people elect your client into office, they must protect themselves and their family’s finances with a liability policy designed specifically for public officials. Although your client’s goal in office is to serve their community to the best of their ability, sometimes things are beyond their control. If something happens that results in misstatements, a breach of duty, or official errors, they need protection and liability coverage.

New Elected Officials Should Allow Plenty of Time

It’s tempting to jump into everything and try to juggle it all. Unfortunately, this isn’t a sustainable approach. Your client needs time to acclimate to the expectations of the office and the daily routines. They should discuss everything with the staff and assess the role and its demands. Then your client can establish a schedule to meet those demands within their limitations. Remember that public officials liability claims often arise from trying to do too much too fast, so they should be clear about what they are capable of. 

Publish Policy Statements

When your client’s office publishes policy statements, those statements will communicate their priorities and perspectives as a public servant. It helps the people who the official represents understand who they are. These statements often clear up details that could lead to liability claims following significant policy decisions.

Newly Elected Officials Should Avoid Displays of Favoritism

Public officials should not allow their families to bypass the established systems. It will reflect poorly on the office as a show of favoritism and an ethical issue. Protect your office from any perception of impropriety by ensuring everyone follows the established procedures, including contact requirements and chain of command considerations.

Encourage Transparency for Reduced Risk of Public Officials’ Liability Issues

Liability claims often occur due to miscommunication or misconceptions between the office of the public official and the constituents they serve. If your client wants to reduce their risk of confusion about their policy decisions and ability to carry out the job, encourage transparency. Be accessible to the community and clear about the decisions that you make.

In addition, your client should review their public officials’ liability policy every year to ensure that it is sufficient for their office’s current political climate and concerns.

About PGUI

Professional Governmental Underwriters, LLC., is a full-service risk management company dedicated to assisting public, educational and non-profit entities in the management of their professional liability exposures including educators liability insurance. We are dedicated to providing state-of-the-art professional underwriting management and loss control advisory services on behalf of our designated carriers. For more information, call us toll-free at (800) 586-6502.