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Medical examiner seeks steady funding as new Lubbock facility nears handover, chief says office may serve neighboring counties
Summary
The county27s medical examiner reported a year of steady operations and said a new facility is near completion; the ME indicated the office could cover costs and add regional cases over several years but cautioned it would not be a large revenue generator.
Dr. (Addington) the county medical examiner, told Commissioners Court on June 25 that his office had a productive year and that a new, purpose-built facility is nearing handover, which he said would enable the office to expand operations and potentially serve nearby counties.
The ME said the office27s FY26 budget request totaled approximately $3,335,236 and that much of the increase reflected professional services for forensic pathology staffing and increased histology and toxicology costs driven by case volume. He told the court he had requested one new front-office position to manage intake and finances once the new facility accepts outside-case revenue and that vehicle and facility costs had been managed this year.
Answering commissioners27 questions about regional service and capacity, Dr. Addington said he expects the office could become neutral in cost or approach modest cost-recovery by taking on cases from other counties, but that he would not “be a tremendous revenue generator for Lubbock County.” He suggested a realistic three-year plan could see multiple counties participating, and a five-year vision could bring a larger regional workload and training opportunities.
Dr. Addington told the court the construction team expects to hand over keys in March and that the office was prepared to make a public announcement when the building handoff is complete. He also described staffing and operational adjustments since adding contract pathology support and said the office performs regular evaluations and audits for quality.
On contract services with the outsourced forensic provider (referred to in the meeting as FPS), commissioners asked whether prepaying for services for a discount was lawful. County counsel indicated the court would need to verify whether paying in advance for services that have not yet been rendered complies with procurement and county payment rules; no policy change was adopted that day.
Operational detail cited in the meeting: as of the June session the ME reported roughly 324 autopsies and external examinations in the fiscal year and 104 record reviews. The office said locum and pathology contracts were stable and that toxicology and histology costs had increased with more required testing.
What27s next: the ME will proceed with facility readiness, continue to track case volume and costs, and work with county finance and counsel on any contracts or payment-structure questions for FPS/other vendors. Commissioners asked staff to continue preparing budget revisions and possible options for the county27s consideration.
