Property Insurance

Baltimore City Code art. 5, subtit. 10

in effect

Baltimore City Code, Article 5, § 10-1 Insurance claims.

§ 10-1. Insurance claims. (a) Comptroller to negotiate. The Comptroller shall represent the City in the negotiation of all claims against any insurance company from which insurance has been purchased covering loss or damage to City-owned property, and he is authorized to approve all settlements with the insurance company. (b) Referral to City Solicitor. If the Comptroller and the insurance company, during the course of their negotiations are unable to agree upon an equitable settlement, the Comptroller shall request the City Solicitor to press the City’s claim and assure that the City’s interest is protected. (c) Use of proceeds. (1) All money that may be awarded to the City by reason of loss from damage or destruction covered by City-purchased insurance shall be paid to the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, and the appropriate agency shall be credited with these funds. (2) Repairs or replacement of the property suffering damage shall be made, subject to the approval of the Director of Public Works, the Director of Transportation, or the Director of General Services, whichever has jurisdiction, by either City employees or under contract. (Ord. 15-435; Ord. 76-018; Ord. 66-793.)

Baltimore City Code, Article 5, § 10-2 Purchase of insurance.

§ 10-2. Purchase of insurance. (a) Principal coverage. The Comptroller shall purchase insurance, subject to the approval of the Board of Estimates, to protect adequately the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore against any risk or risks of an insurable nature which may reasonably be expected to result in financial loss in excess of $200,000 in any 1 occurrence or in excess of an aggregate of $2,000,000 in any 1 fiscal year. (b) Lesser coverage. The Comptroller may purchase insurance to protect against lesser amounts of potential loss if in his opinion the protection or the services obtained through the purchase of the insurance justify its cost. (Ord. 66-793; Ord. 46-336.)

Baltimore City Code, Article 5, § 10-3 City Property Insurance Fund — uses; appropriations.

§ 10-3. City Property Insurance Fund — uses; appropriations. (a) Uses of Fund. (1) The “City Property Insurance Fund” created by Ordinance 408 (1913-14) shall be used to defray the cost of repair or replacement of any real or personal property owned by or in the custody of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore. (2) The Comptroller may determine the property and perils to be covered by this Fund and promulgate rules and regulations governing payments from this Fund. Such rules and regulations shall be in accord with the provisions of § 10-5 of this subtitle, but may amplify and extend the basic principles as set forth in that section. (b) Annual appropriations. (1) There shall be appropriated annually to this Fund a sum equal to estimated losses payable from the Fund during the next fiscal year, but not less than the average aggregate annual losses paid from this Fund during the latest 5-year period, and in any event not less than $100,000, this sum to be provided for annually in the annual Ordinance of Estimates for each year. (2) The appropriation shall continue until the accumulations and earnings therefrom, less expenditures or disbursements therefrom as may be made as hereinafter provided, amount to $2,700,000, at which time the appropriations and further addition of earnings of the Fund shall cease; and appropriations and the further addition of earnings shall begin again and continue to be made as herein provided if the Fund becomes depleted below this amount. (3) Whenever the amount in the Fund exceeds this $2,700,000 maximum, the excess shall be promptly transferred to the General Funds of the City. (4) The appropriations as made shall be paid by the Comptroller to the Board of Finance, to be held and invested by the Board of Finance as hereinafter directed. (Ord. 83-1037; Ord. 66-793; Ord. 14-408.)

Baltimore City Code, Article 5, § 10-4 City Property Insurance Fund — investments.

§ 10-4. City Property Insurance Fund — investments. The Board of Finance is hereby authorized and directed to: (1) receive the money directed to be paid to it by the Comptroller, to hold and invest the same as other moneys in its charge and keeping are held and invested; (2) retain the same as a permanent fund subject to be used only for the repair, rebuilding, or replacement of property owned by or in the custody of the City which may be lost, damaged, or destroyed by a peril intended to be covered by such fund in accordance with rules and regulations promulgated by the Comptroller; (3) keep a separate account of said fund, together with the earnings thereof as the “City Property Insurance Fund” of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore; and (4) submit annually on July 1 of each and every year to the Comptroller, a statement, in writing, showing the state and amount of said fund. (Ord. 66-793; Ord. 14-408.)

Baltimore City Code, Article 5, § 10-5 Restoration of damaged property.

§ 10-5. Restoration of damaged property. (a) Estimate to be obtained. In the event of the loss, damage, or destruction of property owned by or in the custody of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, the department, sub-department, municipal official, special commission, or board subjected to loss shall promptly notify the Comptroller and the Director of Public Works, the Director of Transportation, or the Director of General Services, whichever has jurisdiction, to obtain an estimate of the cost of repair, rebuilding, or replacement from the latter. (b) Estimated loss not more than $200,000. (1) If the loss is estimated to be not more than $200,000, the agency, subject to the approval of the Director of Public Works, the Director of Transportation, or the Director of General Services, whichever has jurisdiction, either shall arrange for repairs by its own maintenance force or shall proceed in the usual manner to effect the awarding of a contract for the work. (2) Upon completion and the consequent knowledge of the actual cost of the restoration, the agency shall apply to the Comptroller for reimbursement from the Self-Insurance Fund. Upon approval by the Comptroller, a request for the transfer of the actual cost of the work performed from the Self-Insurance Fund to the appropriate account of the affected agency shall be made to the Director of Finance. (3) The first $1,000 of each loss shall be borne by the agency suffering the loss, and the agency shall be reimbursed for the total amount of loss in excess of this sum. (c) Estimated loss more than $200,000. If at the time of the estimate of the Director of Public Works, the Director of Transportation, or the Director of General Services, whichever has jurisdiction, it is reasonably expected that the loss may be in excess of $200,000, a copy of the estimate shall be transmitted immediately to the Comptroller to enable him or her to negotiate with the insurance carrier. (Ord. 15-435; Ord. 76-018; Ord. 66-793; Ord. 14-408.)

Source: City of Baltimore Department of Legislative Reference, City of Baltimore Law Library (codes.baltimorecity.gov; Open Law Library bulk XML)URL: https://codes.baltimorecity.gov/us/md/cities/baltimore/code/5/10Fetched: 10/25/2026