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Medical examiner asks commissioners to renew interlocal agreements with neighboring counties, add Whitman and Grant as backups
Summary
The county medical examiner asked commissioners to renew two‑year interlocal agreements with surrounding counties for contracted autopsy services and to add Whitman and Grant counties as backup service recipients; the medical examiner said fee schedules are reviewed annually and that the county absorbs maintenance and equipment replacement costs.
Dr. Xing, Spokane County Medical Examiner, told the commissioners on April 15 he is seeking approval to renew a set of two‑year interlocal agreements that let Spokane County provide coroner/autopsy services to surrounding counties and to add Whitman and Grant counties as contingency backup partners.
Dr. Xing said the agreements have not materially changed and that the county typically serves as a backup when other counties’ traveling forensic pathologists are unavailable. "We are adding two to our current set of counties — Whitman County and Grant County — who have a traveling forensic pathologist who goes around and does autopsies but asked that we be the backup when they have an emergent case," Dr. Xing told the board.
Staff and Dr. Xing said fee schedules are reviewed annually to ensure the county recovers staffing, maintenance and amortized equipment-replacement costs (for items such as CT scanners and full‑body X‑ray equipment). County staff said they review cost coverage each year and that the coroner’s office is currently covering maintenance, operations and equipment amortization from billed fees.
Board reaction: Commissioners had no substantive questions and asked staff to coordinate scheduling for a joint city–county meeting where the coroner could present a first‑quarter update.
Next step: The coroner’s office asked the board to authorize renewal of the listed interlocal agreements; staff will present the renewal agreements on the legislative agenda for board action.
