Court reviews forensic services staffing plan as county moves toward a medical examiner office

County staff reviewed planned title alignments and creation of forensic services positions as part of standing up the county’s medical‑examiner functions. The administration proposed a zero‑cost title change to align an administrative manager title with common medical examiner office practice, and requested creation of two death‑investigator positions and a laboratory technician. The budgeted line items shown in the system were for health‑insurance costs first, with full salary funding to be requested later when a medical examiner is hired. Staff stated the combined insurance cost currently shown is $51,001.74 (approximately $34,000 for two death investigators and $17,000 for a lab technician) and said they will return to the court to request full salary funding once a medical examiner is on board. Ed Bull, who spoke from a legal perspective, told the court there is a legal distinction between a director of forensic medicine and a medical examiner, and that creating an official medical examiner office may require a future formal action such as a resolution or ordinance because the medical examiner discharges certain legal authorities. No appropriation was recorded in the transcript; staff framed the requests as steps toward hiring a medical examiner and building a permanent office structure.