Commissioners received good news on two fiscal fronts Monday.

The first was from Merchants Capital Bank’s Reid Cavnar about the net savings of approximately $140,000 achieved by refinancing the county’s outstanding gas tax bonds.

This was an increase in the projected $120,000 savings Cavnar first proposed in September, when he urged the commission to capitalize on the decrease in interest rates.

Cavnar said the attempt worked.

“Last time we talked the market was a little rough, but things have worked the way we planned,” Cavnar said. “The very next week the market improved enough to reduce the rate from 4.14 percent to 3.1 percent.”

Cavnar said that reduction will save the county $75,000 the first year and between $5,000 and $10,000 annually for the life of the loan.

Secondly, commissioners heard from Dale Taylor of The Securance Group, the company which handles the county’s workmen’s compensation insurance.

A recent re-evaluation of coverage allowed the county to experience a $37,000 net savings, and Taylor asked commissioners to examine the company’s other insurance products.

“The savings seen were quite a bit,” Taylor said, of the workmen’s comp insurance. “Our company also handles liability and property insurance under an umbrella, and we think it might be beneficial for the county to take a look and allow us to see what other kind of savings we can find.

“We’ve been very successful in writing other municipalities and counties in the state, and I would estimate the savings between 20 and 25 percent over (the county’s current carrier,) he said.

In other business, the commission agreed to reissue an off-premise beer license to Joe’s Grocery, the former Garrett’s Grocery near Opp, and to allow the county engineer to purchase new tires for a tractor and Mac truck.