Cities & Villages Mutual Insurance Company (CVMIC) has agreed, as part of an enforceable court settlement, that it is a governmental entity subject to Wisconsin’s Public Records and Open Meetings Laws. The settlement resolves a lawsuit brought by former CVMIC workers’ compensation claims director Greg Gilsinger.
CVMIC was created in 1987 by 20 Wisconsin municipalities and now has about 57 municipal members plus three municipal utilities. It provides insurance coverage for risks including liability, workers’ compensation and automobile liability. Its seven-member board consists entirely of municipal representatives.
Before the settlement, CVMIC argued that it was not a governmental entity and therefore did not have to comply with public-records and open-meetings requirements. At the same time, however, it claimed several benefits typically available to government entities, including tax exemptions and participation in government retirement and employment programs.
Gilsinger challenged CVMIC’s practices after alleging that meetings held in Dane, Door and Milwaukee counties were conducted without the public notice and open sessions required under Wisconsin’s Open Meetings Law. He filed verified complaints in March and a Dane County lawsuit in July.
Under the settlement, CVMIC formally stipulates that it is a “governmental body” under the Open Meetings Law and an “authority” under the Public Records Law. That means its government-related operations are now subject to those transparency requirements.
The settlement could have broader significance because other municipal insurance organizations in Wisconsin operate under a similar structure, including the League of Wisconsin Municipalities Mutual Insurance and Wisconsin Municipalities Mutual Insurance Company.
