Atlantic Beach council adopts strong resolution opposing insurance increases

ATLANTIC BEACH — The Atlantic Beach Town Council voted unanimously Monday night to adopt a resolution that strongly opposes proposed dramatic increases in homeowners' insurance rates in the town and county.

The council acted during its monthly meeting in the town hall off Highway 58.

Council members and Town Manager John O'Daniel noted that insurance rates in the town and county are already four or five times the rate in most of the rest of the state and if the N.C. Rate Bureau's latest proposal hike takes place, "Carteret County will take a beating."

The proposed increases range from 42.2 to 99% in Carteret County, largely depending on proximity to coastal waters and would affect fire and extended wind coverage.

"The Town of Atlantic Beach remains very concerned about homeowners' insurance rates in Atlantic Beach and across the entire NC coastal region," the resolution states, and "the town … encourages (Insurance) Commissioner (Mike) Causey to completely reject the requested 99.4% …"

The resolution requests that the N.C. Department of Insurance, the Rate Bureau, and the N.C. General Assembly "work toward a fairer rate structure for homeowners' insurance in coastal North Carolina."

The proposed increase, the resolution states, will increase will the increase the disparity between the rates in the county and the rest of the state, and requests "the N.C. State Insurance Commissioner require insurers to provide more detailed information about premiums and losses by geographic territory to determine if such proposed rates increase are warranted."

Atlantic Beach, Carteret County and other towns are urging residents to take action to try to stop or limit the increases, and officials have noted that public opinion can play an important role in the final decision.

Ways to comment:

North Carolina Department of Insurance

Phone: 919-807-6014

Website: https://www.ncdoi.gov/news/press-releases/2024/01/05/insurance-companies-ask-422-rate-increase-homeowners-insurance

N.C. House of Representatives (District 13) – Celeste Cairns

Phone: 919-733-6275

Address: 300 N. Salisbury Street, Rm. 602 Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

Senator Norman Sanderson

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 919-733-5706

Address: 300 N. Salisbury Street, Rm. 309 Raleigh, NC 27603-5925

Contact Brad Rich at 252-864-1532 or [email protected].