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Coroner asks to convert office to full time; commissioners discuss budget, deputies' pay and process
Summary
Coroner Parish asked the Butte–Silver Bow Council to raise the coroner salary and convert the office to a full-time position starting July 1, 2026; commissioners supported the idea but raised process, budget timing and election questions and noted deputies receive low on-call pay.
Coroner Parish told the Butte–Silver Bow Council on March 18 that the workload and legal responsibilities of the coroner’s office now warrant a full-time, salaried position and asked the council to raise the office salary beginning with the next fiscal year.
Parish outlined the hours devoted to the office, said the part-time arrangement is exhausting and compared the office to similar jurisdictions that pay coroners full time. He asked the county to treat the position as a full-time professional role and advocated for better support for deputy coroners.
Commissioners expressed general support but raised procedural questions about how to effect the change. Commissioner Morgan said the proper mechanism is for the chief executive to include the salary adjustment in the preliminary budget and for the council to adopt it through its normal budget or resolution process. Commissioner Morgan also noted the need to ask the state elections office whether increasing the salary midterm would affect eligibility or filing for the office.
County Attorney Andruth said the charter does not explicitly prohibit the council from raising an elected official’s salary midterm and described the question as primarily budgetary. Director Hassler said the coroner historically has been funded at 0.5 FTE in the budget and noted that deputy coroners are paid a small on-call stipend and hourly amounts when called out.
Parish said deputies receive about $3 an hour for on-call availability, $50 for a call-out and $125 for transport when they must take a decedent to an external lab; Parish said he would press for higher pay and more support for deputies.
Commissioners said they appreciated the data Parish provided and that further work would be needed to identify funding sources and the correct procedural path. The council voted 10–0 to note Communication 2026-143 and place it on file for follow-up during the budget cycle.
