The Shelby County Board approved changes to the coroner office pay structure on Aug. 14, increasing the deputy coroners’ annual stipend and moving stipend pay from biweekly to monthly.

County officials voted to increase the deputy stipend from $1,000 to $1,200 annually and to institute a tiered pay structure that raises hourly pay for more-active deputies, the coroner’s office said in a presentation. The coroner’s office also told the board it would begin paying stipends monthly rather than biweekly.

“I am asking to change the deputy stipend from a thousand dollars annually to 1,200 annually, with instead of being paid biweekly, it'd be paid monthly,” the coroner’s office representative, Mr. Bolt, said during the meeting. He described a tiered system that recognizes active deputy coroners and said pay would start when deputies leave for a call; his office’s handbook sets response-time expectations that pay begins when deputies depart for calls.

Board members asked whether budget funds existed to cover the change; the presenter said the money should be available in the current budget. Roll call recorded 16 votes in favor and one vote against (Commissioner Brent Wallace).

The board approved the changes to take effect immediately, allowing the coroner’s office to begin the revised pay schedule now rather than waiting for the next fiscal budget cycle. The coroner’s office said it currently has eight deputies, four of whom are active, and that the change seeks to reduce burnout and better recognize active volunteer time in the field.

The board noted payroll and stipend catch-up matters remain with county finance staff; staff said they would reconcile stipend back-pay and implement the monthly payments.