Lake County coroner asks commissioners to convert part‑time slots into a full‑time deputy, cites safety and recruitment problems

County Coroner Alex Creek told the Board of County Commissioners that the Coroner’s Office cannot reliably fill part‑time, on‑call death‑investigator roles and asked the board to approve a supplemental reorganization of those positions into one additional full‑time deputy.

Creek described the operational realities: thorough scene investigations regularly last multiple hours; safety and scene integrity require two trained personnel; and part‑time hires impose the same upfront training and credentialing costs as full‑time staff while frequently leaving the office under‑resourced. “You need two people for that,” Creek said of night removals and stressed that single‑person deployment forces the county to rely on fire or law enforcement for lift assists and prolonged scene coverage.

Creek said the office budget currently includes pay lines for one full‑time coroner plus part‑time deputies, a contractor‑level ballistics expert and other temporary positions. He recommended folding the three open part‑time positions into one full‑time hire, and converting one trained contributor to a contractor (1099) arrangement to preserve specialized support without an open position.

Commissioners asked about comparables and cost per capita; staff cited neighboring counties’ configurations (some operate with more full‑time deputies or partner with funeral homes for on‑call staff) and discussed tradeoffs. Finance staff said the requested change would increase the coroner payroll by roughly $40,000 annually compared with current part‑time lines; commissioners asked staff to identify offsets and potential budget sources.

Creek also said the office had obtained a toxicology grant (up to $45,000) to pay testing costs, and noted that a small number of recent autopsies and transport obligations drive a heavy workload. The board did not vote on the supplemental during the work session but directed staff to schedule the request for public hearing and to provide more detailed budget offsets and comparisons before formal action.

Creek said the change would reduce overtime, improve investigative quality and create the capacity for reasonable time off for coroner staff — a goal commissioners flagged as an important quality‑of‑service and workforce retention issue.

The presentation will return for a regular‑meeting vote after county staff produce the requested cost/offset analysis and identify whether the request will be included in an end‑of‑year supplemental or the next regular budget cycle.