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Howard County council approves $104,091.02 in additional appropriations, includes $86,500 for coroner lab costs
Summary
The Howard County Council approved $104,091.02 in additional appropriations at its September meeting, including $86,500 to cover rising coroner autopsy and lab fees, $13,901.02 for a bucket-truck repair, and $3,690 in USDA school nutrition grant equipment reimbursement.
At the September Howard County Council meeting, members voted to approve additional appropriations totaling $104,091.02 to cover unexpected operating costs across county funds, including a large increase in coroner autopsy and lab expenses.
The funding package, read into the record as Ordinance number 20 24 dash H C C O dash 36, earmarks $86,500 for the coroner’s autopsy and lab account. The coroner described nationwide increases in lab fees and higher costs from the county’s contracting pathologist and said the office has handled just under 200 cases so far this year. "We've already ran negative, almost $10,000 here as of this morning," the coroner said when explaining the request.
The ordinance also moved $13,901.02 into the local road and street repair trucks account to cover a bucket-truck repair and authorized $3,690 into the school lunch program equipment fund for a new refrigerator and milk cooler purchased under a U.S. Department of Education school nutrition grant. The presenter for the school nutrition item said the equipment will be bought up front and reimbursed by the program.
Councilmember Speaker 2 made the motion to approve the appropriations and Speaker 3 seconded; the council adopted the ordinance by voice vote with no recorded opposition.
The appropriation is intended to cover immediate costs through the end of the fiscal year; county staff said they will revisit budgeting for these accounts ahead of the 2026 budget cycle.
