Full county board to consider switch to medical examiner

While members of Trempealeau County’s Executive Finance Committee acknowledged they still had reservations about making the change, it ultimately voted to send to the full county board a resolution that would abolish the elected coroner position and replace it with a hired medical examiner.

The committee that has control over the county’s purse strings twice rejected the resolution, saying there wasn’t enough information about the cost. The committee was presented with a better idea of the financial picture, though much of it was still based on estimates developed by an ad hoc committee that was created to research the change. The committee ultimately voted 4-1 to advance the conversation to the full board.

It was estimated that the current coroner is paid $35 per hour, a number that is based on the coroner’s earnings which were budgeted at $37,000 for last year. Coroner Bonnie Kindschy is paid a salary and an additional amount based on the number of calls she goes to. Ad hoc committee members and county administrator Rebecca Glewen said they did not know how many calls Kindschy goes on annually and that there had been no communication with Kindschy, so the financial figures were estimates. Kindschy told the Times that nobody from the county has asked her how many calls she goes on annually. 

The executive finance committee was told that the expectation is that a medical examiner would cost between $45 and $50 an hour with the idea that the person would work 20 hours a week. Glewen provided figures that showed a projected increase of between $9,000 and $15,000 in salary for the position. 

There has also been discussion about creating a combined position with Jackson County. Glewen said she has had conversations with the Jackson County administrator who has expressed interest in such a scenario. Kindschy is currently employed as the Jackson County medical examiner. Sharing the position would mean the county would also be on the hook for benefits, which means the projected increase in costs would be between $26,900 and $32,900. 

“It is a guesstimate,” Dick Miller, a member of the ad hoc committee, said. “If you guys want more than a guesstimate, you’re not going to get it.”

Richard Sacia, a member of the executive finance committee, said the resolution included verbiage about staffing, which made him nervous. Glewen and Supervisor Renee Lyon said they didn’t anticipate there would be an increase in staff expenses. 

Executive finance committee member Bridgette Turner indicated she thought the projected increase would be money well spent in exchange for professionalism.

“If I had a family member and I needed a medical examiner versus a coroner, I would like a medical examiner to show up at my door,” Turner said. 

Lyon said switching to a hired position could be a great benefit to the county because it would give the board more authority over the position and could set qualifications. 

“The only requirements for a candidate would be no criminal convictions and that they’re an adult,” Lyon said. “There’s no background check, no mandatory training or certification, no medical background or professional credentials required. There’s no oversight by the county. History for Trempealeau County in the past two years, I think we have experienced some unhappy events as far as dealing with an elected official.” 

Though others didn’t necessarily agree that not having the person be elected is a positive. 

Executive finance committee chair David Larson said he thinks the county needs to move to a medical examiner, but didn’t like taking the choice away from voters.

“I’m torn because by doing this we are taking things out of the hands of the voter directly,” Larson said. “Granted they can throw us out. But I’m not sure how much the voters care.”

Supervisor Richard Anderson said he is also split, but doesn’t like taking an elected position away. He noted that all of the supervisors are elected and he was previously elected as the sheriff, a position that has no requirements and has had people without law enforcement backgrounds hold the title in the past.

“I believe in elected officials, even the coroner position itself. It gives the public, the community in Trempealeau County, the right to put in who they want. Maybe you don’t get the most qualified person, but there is schooling, training that one takes, same as a sheriff,” Anderson said. “We have had several sheriffs in the past who didn’t have any so-called qualifications, but they sure got the proper training and knew how to run a department.” 

Anderson said he worked well with Kindschy while he was the sheriff and that she was very good at assisting with death notifications. Ultimately, he thinks keeping an elected position is the best form of government.

“That is the way democracy works, we have elected officials with the public able to vote,” Anderson said. “It gives the public the right. And I think that is important for this county.”

Anderson said that he doesn’t know which way he will vote when it comes to the full county board, but “I do not like taking an elected official away from the rights of the people.”

Robert Baecker, who voted against passing the resolution to the full county board, said he thought the decision might be rushed and could use more research. 

“Are we kind of rushing this through without really thinking it out,” Baecker asked. “I’m not comfortable with that. I agree with what Rich said about people losing the vote. Maybe we should sit back and really analyze this, maybe until we get more numbers and information.” 

Glewen said she didn’t think the matter had been rushed, noting it has been discussed and passed by multiple committees. Lyon said she thinks the executive finance committee has already gotten a lot of information to make a decision.

Miller said that the decision is ultimately one that should be made by the full county board and that the executive finance committee should approve it to move it on.

“This is a policy decision for the whole board,” Miller said. “This committee may have reservations and I think that is appropriately shared as a board as a whole, but it is our job as the board to deal with policy.” 

Sacia ultimately motioned to approve the resolution to move the conversation to the full county board, admitting he didn’t know if he would vote in favor in the full board meeting. 

In other matters, the committee voted 4-1, with Turner against, to not adjust compensation for 2026 due to contractual language. State law prohibits the board from stating whose compensation they were discussing, but the only county employees who work under contracts are Glewen and  members of the Trempealeau County Sheriff’s Department. The contract that sheriff’s department employees operate under is through the Trempealeau County Professional Police Association, represented by the Wisconsin Professional Police Association.