Coroner asks for extra deputy and salary bump as case complexity and FOIA demands rise

Josh Webb, Jefferson County's coroner, told commissioners the office has adopted the Indiana Department of Health's CoHero violent-death reporting system and that the new, case-level data requirements and freedom-of-information requests justify additional staff and pay increases. "The system requires pretty intensive case level data entry. We have to upload documents. We have to draft narratives," Webb said, explaining the workload that underlies his budget request.

Webb said the county will also participate in a newly established, county-specific minor fatality review board to look at deaths of minors, with its first meeting scheduled later this month. He provided year-to-year death totals to give context for the staffing ask: "So organized that way. We have with 2025, we had 111 deaths. Compared to 2024, we had...177, I believe," Webb said when discussing the office's caseload. He emphasized that while total deaths are down, the "intensity and complexity" of cases has increased, and that FOIA work adds substantial time because staff must evaluate what is legally disclosable.

Commissioners asked whether counties can adopt a standardized fee for public-records requests similar to guidance discussed at the auditors' conference; a $25-per-hour figure was raised. Webb and commissioners agreed a countywide policy could help offset costs, but noted statutory limits and the need for coordinated action by the governing body. Webb also introduced a forensic intern and said he will propose a future plan for a standalone coroner facility covering personnel, autopsy capacity and equipment.

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