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.