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Coroner seeks X‑ray unit and in‑house toxicology capabilities; commissioners trim equipment line pending bids
Summary
The county coroner asked to convert a part‑time deputy to full time and requested capital funding for an X‑ray unit and an in‑house toxicology machine; commissioners asked for updated vendor quotes and voted to reduce the medical equipment request to $65,000 pending further information.
County coroner Dr. Byrd presented the coroner's budget and argued for converting a part‑time deputy coroner to full time, noting benefit and payroll implications. Dr. Byrd also presented two capital requests to expand local capability: an X‑ray machine (vendor quotes ranged $55,000–$65,000) and a rapid toxicology unit intended to allow faster in‑house testing.
Commissioners probed the anticipated frequency of use and the balance of costs and benefits. After discussing liability, case volume and the availability of hospital or medical examiner resources, the board voted to reduce the coroner's medical equipment line to $65,000 and asked Dr. Byrd to supply updated bids and any revenue/operational projections before the next budget round. Dr. Byrd noted operational uses for X‑rays in certain investigations and said, "I'll take the x‑ray machine over the Tox machine" when prioritizing purchases.
