Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Medical examiner seeks two shared positions as office functions regionally
Summary
The county medical examiner told commissioners the office is operating regionally and requested funding for a full-time lead field investigator and a part-time lead pathology assistant to handle rising caseloads shared among three counties; both positions were approved.
Dr. Maynard, Jackson County medical examiner, told commissioners the office is functioning as a regional medical examiner for Jackson, Lenawee and Hillsdale counties and requested two new positions to handle growing workload: a full-time lead medical examiner field investigator and a part-time lead pathology assistant.
Dr. Maynard said Jackson has handled a combined total of 684 reported cases to date across the three counties (Jackson 425, Lenawee 178, Hillsdale 81) and projects about 1,134 cases by year-end, with roughly one-third of cases autopsied. He said the busiest months are typically October through December.
The proposed lead field investigator would review case reports, maintain quality, train incoming field investigators and serve as a backup; the lead pathology assistant would maintain the morgue, order supplies and assist pathologists as needed. Dr. Maynard said costs would be shared among the three counties; he described a proposed cost-allocation method based on county population percentages rather than autopsy counts.
Commissioners discussed whether the partner counties had been consulted: Dr. Maynard said Lenawee had agreed and Hillsdale had been informed but had questions; he said the positions were included in Jackson County’s proposed 2026 budget and would start Jan. 1, 2026, if approved.
The board voted to adopt the staff recommendations for both positions; commissioners voted in favor by voice vote.
