Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Coroner Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Coroner reports higher caseload, unexpected cumulative bill from hospital and requests modest deputy pay
Summary
The coroner told county budget reviewers the office handled roughly 43 calls and 30 signed death certificates so far this year, described a large retroactive hospital charge of about $10,000 and requested additional pay for deputies.
The Vermillion County coroner reported that the office has responded to about 43 calls this year and signed approximately 30 death certificates. The coroner said autopsy and pathology costs vary but can run from about $1,500 to $1,700 per autopsy depending on tests and imaging.
The coroner said the office received an unexpected $10,000 bill from a regional hospital that covered several years of services that had not been billed previously. “We paid it right as soon as we got it,” the coroner said, and noted that other counties have faced larger retroactive bills from pathologists and hospitals.
Deputy pay and staffing: the coroner requested a $2,500 increase for the chief deputy and $1,500 for each other deputy (six deputies total: chief plus five deputies). The coroner said deputies are certified and can cover autopsies and related work when the coroner is out of town; some deputy compensation is being handled as an end‑of‑year bonus rather than biweekly pay.
Transportation: the coroner said the office uses contracted transporters for decedents (named transport providers were mentioned) and has been working with two providers to cover north and south county routes. The coroner said transporters charge in some circumstances but have been helpful in avoiding transport budget overruns.
Nut graf: Coroner staff requested modest deputy pay increases and reported an unanticipated past hospital billing that reduced the office’s autopsy budget; county staff and coroner said they would monitor autopsy and pathologist charges going forward.
Additional details: Coroner noted that autopsy tests range widely by case (forensic testing, X‑rays and toxicology can increase costs) and that suicides and unexplained infant deaths often require autopsies under state practice. The coroner also said the office procured reenactment training at no charge to the county to help investigative techniques.
Ending: No formal budget action was taken during the informational hearing; the coroner will return to the budget process with claims and staff noted they were tracking costs monthly.
