NEW VINEYARD – Municipal officials have announced that the town of New Vineyard has received a $615 dividend check from the Maine Municipal Association as a result of its good loss experience.

The association offers three self-funded pools for municipal and quasi-public entities in Maine: the Workers Compensation Fund formed in 1978, the Property and Casualty Pool formed in 1987, and the Unemployment Compensation Fund formed in 1978.

The programs are overseen by governing boards of elected and appointed municipal officials. Each year the boards review the programs’ loss experience to determine if dividends may be paid.

Patricia Kablitz, director of risk management service for the association, said more than 75 percent of the program participants receive dividends each year for their good risk management practices and loss experience.

This year the Workers Compensation Fund has distributed almost $500,000 in dividends to participants; the Property and Casualty Pool, which is currently celebrating its 20th year, has paid dividends of nearly $300,000; and the Unemployment Compensation Fund has returned dividends of approximately $450,000, for a total in excess of $1.2 million provided directly to the members.

Since 1997, the three programs have returned more than $10.4 million of dividends to participating programs, including online training programs and other services. Check the offerings at www.memun.org and click on the risk management services link or call 1-800-590-5583.