Coroner vehicle proposal raises questions about cost, safety and practicality

Local News X Questions surrounding a replacement vehicle for the Brown County Coroner’s Office led to a lengthy discussion during the Brown County Council meeting Monday, May 18. The discussion centered on concerns raised by Coroner Mike Moore regarding a proposed plan to transfer an older sheriff’s department vehicle to the coroner’s office rather than purchase a new vehicle. Moore told council members the coroner’s office currently relies on a 2010 Dodge Caravan and said a previously discussed proposal to transfer a Ford Explorer from the sheriff’s department would likely not meet the office’s needs. “The only problem with that is the vehicles they have to take out of service are basically worn out to begin with,” Moore said. “Second of all, they’re not designed for the use that the coroner’s office needs.” Moore explained that transporting deceased individuals, particularly larger bodies, requires adequate cargo space and separation from the front passenger area. “An Explorer is not designed for carrying a body,” Moore said. Moore said the office would like to keep its current vehicle as a backup if another vehicle were obtained, noting that the coroner’s office has only one vehicle and could be left without transportation if it breaks down for repairs. Council member Jim Kemp pushed back on the need to purchase a new vehicle, arguing the county should avoid spending upwards of $70,000 on a vehicle that would likely see limited use. Kemp said he had contacted the executive director of the Indiana Coroners Association to ask what other counties use and researched available sheriff’s department vehicles that could potentially be modified for coroner use. “We don’t need to go out and spend $70,000 for a vehicle,” Kemp said. “I’m just here to try to hang on to the money that we got coming into the county.” Kemp argued that because the coroner’s office averages only a handful of body recoveries per month, a newer used sheriff’s department vehicle may be more practical than purchasing a brand-new specialty vehicle. He suggested a 2017 Ford Explorer currently in use by the sheriff’s department could potentially be modified to suit the office’s needs. Kemp also questioned how many miles the vehicle would realistically be driven annually and said he wanted to better understand the office’s average number of recoveries over several years before committing to a large expense. Moore responded that the issue was not necessarily about getting a brand-new vehicle but rather obtaining one capable of safely performing the job. Current coroner candidate David Frensmeier also joined the discussion, raising concerns about safely transporting bodies without proper separation between the driver and cargo area. Council member Gary Huett eventually jumped in and proposed that Moore, Kemp and Sheriff Brad Stogsdill inspect the proposed vehicle together, gather more facts and return with a recommendation before any final decisions are made. Kemp agreed, saying, “Let’s put our heads together, let’s see if we can negotiate a win-win.” Moore agreed to continue discussions. Earlier in the meeting, council members approved a $131,500 additional appropriation request for the county’s Convention and Visitors Bureau after discussion regarding tourism spending, marketing and future maintenance costs tied to county tourism assets. The appropriation included funding for items such as Placer.ai software and mountain bike-related marketing efforts, along with pickleball courts. Before approving the request, council members discussed broader concerns about using innkeepers’ tax funds to offset tourism-related expenses that have historically fallen on local taxpayers. Council member Scott Rudd said tourism assets such as parks, trails, the county overlook, covered bridges and fairgrounds have long been funded through county tax dollars and suggested innkeepers’ tax revenue should eventually help cover more of those costs. “These are actually about pre-existing tourism-related expenses within the county’s budget that have been borne by taxpayers,” Rudd said. “The idea that our group has talked about and all agreed to, which is offsetting those expenses that have been borne by taxpayers for many years.” Brown County Convention and Visitors Bureau Board Chairman Brian Tadlock said the tourism board is working with parks officials to make county facilities more self-sustaining through revenue-producing activities. “We need to utilize those things in order to help generate revenue,” Tadlock said. “It would be fantastic at some point to be able to say that the parks and rec budget is completely covered by revenue generation.” Tadlock also said expanding planned pickleball courts from six to eight courts would make the facility “tournament legal,” allowing the county to host tournaments and generate additional tourism revenue. The appropriation was ultimately approved, with Kemp abstaining from the vote and Council member Patrick Nielander voting no. Council members also delayed action on a request for an additional $7,200 for election board salaries after Kemp questioned why the increase was needed when $12,800 had already been budgeted for election board compensation. Kemp read an email from County Attorney Susan Bevers that clarified that a statute cited in support of the increase applied only to Porter County and that Brown County operates under a different law allowing the county fiscal body to determine compensation for election board members. Council members voted to remove the additional request for now and revisit the matter during a future regular meeting. Council members concluded the meeting by discussing the county’s upcoming 2027 budget process, agreeing that departments failing to submit budget requests by July 1 may temporarily default to last year’s funding levels until hearings are completed. Formal budget hearings are expected to be held July 28-30. Featured Local Savings