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Chief deputy coroner asks Washington County commissioners for two vehicles, says fees will cover cost
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Summary
Matt Yankosick, chief deputy coroner, used public comment to request two vehicles (one to tow a mass fatality trailer) and asked the board to authorize purchases using funds from death‑certificate fee revenue rather than county general funds. He said his office handles roughly 2,800 death investigations a year across the county.
During the public‑comment portion of the Washington County Board of Commissioners meeting on April 2, Matt Yankosick, the chief deputy coroner, asked commissioners to approve two vehicles for the coroner’s office and requested signatures to proceed.
Yankosick described operational needs and staffing: he said the coroner’s office covers about 860 square miles and roughly 209,000 residents and conducts about 2,800 death investigations per year. He said one vehicle must be capable of towing the county’s mass‑fatality trailer and that deputies routinely carry body bags, biohazard gear and measuring equipment.
"We conduct about 2,800 death investigations per year," Yankosick said. He emphasized the office was not seeking county general‑fund support for the purchases: "The state will take it if we don't use it," he said of funds derived from death‑certificate fees, and added that the office had banked those fees to cover equipment purchases.
Yankosick asked for the commissioners’ signatures and support; the comment was made during public comment and no formal procurement action was recorded immediately following his remarks.
Why it matters: Vehicle availability affects the coroner’s ability to respond safely to scenes across a large county footprint, including mass‑fatality readiness and routine death investigations. Yankosick’s request signals an operational need and that the office intends to use fee revenue rather than county general funds.
The commissioners heard the request during public comment; next steps would require staff to bring any formal procurement or contract item to a future agenda for action.
