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County staff review options, costs for medical‑examiner services; board accepts report
Summary
Mohave County staff presented a comparison of options for providing mandated medical‑examiner services — including contracted models and an in‑house option — and estimated recurring costs and facility renovation needs. The board accepted the information for further study.
Mohave County managers and public‑safety staff presented a comparative review of options and projected costs for providing mandated medical‑examiner services to the county at the March 3 meeting.
Staff compared the county’s existing contract arrangement with alternative models, including a joint Mojave‑Coconino approach and bringing services in‑house. The county’s analysis considered travel time across remote parts of the jurisdiction, population and geographic differences and staffing requirements.
Key findings presented to the board: the recurring annual costs for an in‑house model were estimated in the range of roughly $1.3 million to $1.5 million for personnel, supplies and internal fees; adding contracted forensic‑pathologist services could raise recurring costs by an estimated $350,000–$500,000. Staff also identified potential capital costs if the county wanted to own and operate an examiner facility; two site renovation options previously considered were each in the roughly $3 million to $3.5 million range.
Staff noted the county’s current contract model differs from the Coconino model (which employs several investigators and forensic pathologists) and that travel distances and the separated communities of Mohave County make a lower‑staff model infeasible. County budget staff and the county manager recommended that the board consider these cost differentials and the operational impacts before moving toward an in‑house solution.
After discussion, the board voted to accept the information and directed staff to continue analysis. No policy change or contract award was made at the meeting.
Supervisors who spoke emphasized the large expense of an in‑house operation and the need to weigh the recurring personnel costs and occasional locum/outsourced autopsy costs against current contract arrangements. The county manager and the county’s medical‑examiner project director noted that the projected in‑house recurring costs would likely be about $900,000–$1,000,000 greater than current contracted expenses, and capital costs to renovate a facility would add several million dollars to first‑year costs.
