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Franklin County commission backs local bill to raise coroner compensation
Summary
The Franklin County Commission unanimously approved a resolution supporting local legislation to increase the coroner's expense allowance to $9,700 in 2024 and convert to a $10,000 annual salary for the term following the 2026 election, citing rising workload and training costs.
The Franklin County Commission on Nov. 20 voted unanimously to support local legislation that would change how the county coroner is compensated, moving an expense allowance to a larger stipend in 2024 and converting to a $10,000 salary beginning for the term after the 2026 general election.
The resolution approved by the board directs the chairman to present the attached draft bill to the county's legislative delegation and to publish required notice. The draft bill amends Sections 1973-446, 1971-491 and 90-461 of the Code of Alabama (local laws) to: raise the coroner's expense allowance to $9,700 effective Oct. 1, 2024; and, for the term beginning after the 2026 general election, make the coroner's compensation a $10,000 annual salary with participation in county insurance and retirement plans.
Coroner Charles Adcox provided a written explanation of the office's workload, saying the office answered 200 calls last year and 21 autopsy calls, and estimated that each call requires at least two hours of work. "When I took this office I knew and fully understood that it was not an office with a sustainable paycheck; however within the past four years the expenses as well as the number of calls has increased substantially," Adcox wrote, adding that training and travel costs are borne by the coroner and deputies.
Commissioners said they supported the local bill as a way to recognize added duties while keeping salary moves subject to legislative process. The resolution authorizes the commission chairman to present the bill and take related steps, including publishing notice as required by law.
The vote was recorded as unanimous among the four commissioners present. The measure is procedural at the county level: if the legislative delegation introduces the bill at the State House, the state legislature would have to pass it to change local law.
What happens next: the chair will share the resolution and draft bill with members of Franklin County's legislative delegation and follow the public-notice steps outlined in the resolution. The commission packet included the full draft of the proposed local act and the coroner's letter requesting the increase.
