There is a lot of discussion going on in Indianapolis to eliminate local elected offices and create a state bureaucracy to do the work. Supporters of this proposal think that a state employee should replace the county coroner, recorder and surveyor. This is a bad idea that will cost the taxpayers more money and give poorer service to the public. This proposal will eliminate the office but will not eliminate the work.
As an elected county official, I am accountable to you, the voter. If state government is successful in eliminating my office, I will be replaced by an appointed state employee who will not likely live in this county. If you have a death in the family, you will then be forced to deal with a state agency instead of a locally elected person. In states that have gone to such a system, the costs have gone up by millions of dollars.
Proponents of eliminating the office of county coroner say they will do it to save money. My salary is $12,000 and my entire budget is $71,000. Are they really going to find someone to do my job for less than that? The answer is no. Every time the state has consolidated offices and functions, costs have gone up. Look at what happened to costs when schools were consolidated or when the state took over the county welfare system.
Indiana's county coroners are some of the best trained elected officials in the country. We are required, by law, to complete a comprehensive training curriculum provided by the Indiana Coroners Training Board and then pass an extensive test in order to be certified. If we are not certified, the county can withhold our paycheck. No other elected official is subjected to this required certification and possible loss of pay.
Legislators will be asked again this session to support a constitutional amendment to eliminate county offices. They should stand up and say no to creating a big, state run bureaucracy that is expensive and less accountable to voters. Ask you legislators to say no to bigger government.
