Southampton Select Board appoints Dowd Insurance Agencies as new benefits broker

Select Board · Meeting of February 3, 2026

Southampton Select Board names Dowd Insurance Agencies as employee benefits broker in 3-0 vote. The board selected the Belchertown-based firm over competitor Pete Roth of Group Insurance Concepts after back-to-back presentations at the February 3 meeting, with board member John abstaining. Town Administrator Scott, who also serves as the town's entire HR department, said he will contact broker Stephen Corbin of Dowd immediately to begin building a benefits package that will include dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, and voluntary coverages, options that previously did not exist for employees outside the Hampshire County Group Insurance Trust.

Preliminary GIC rates for the coming year are projected at roughly 8 percent, compared to a minimum 16 percent under the expiring trust arrangement. The board also unanimously extended on-call engineering contracts with firms including Tye-in Bond, VHB, and GZA, and accepted four fire department on-call roster resignations effective January 1, 2026.

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Source: the Select Board meeting of February 3, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.