County staff present ordinance to create Department of County Coroner; public hearing to be scheduled

A draft ordinance to create a permanent Department of County Coroner and to authorize the board to appoint a coroner was presented at the March 9 Clallam County work session, and staff said they will advertise a public hearing if commissioners agree the language is ready.

County official (speaker 3) said the ordinance is intended to give permanence to the coroner function and to allow appointment rather than election. He described draft language recommended by the prosecutor to use the same appointment process applied historically to fill vacant elected offices, while clarifying this will be an appointed county employee position rather than an elected office.

The draft addresses deputy coroners and deputization procedures, the oath requirement and an optional bond. "The prosecutor strongly recommends we use the same process for appointing this position as we would for appointing a vacant elected official," the county official said, and added he will follow up with legal staff on the specifics of the bonding proposal.

Commissioners asked whether the appointment process is more defensible than the administrative hiring process used for department heads and sought clarification about how deputies would be deputized and whether bonding is customary. A commissioner asked staff to research the scope and cost of bond coverage and whether it is industry standard; staff agreed to report back.

On compensation and benefits, the draft contemplates a salaried position with step and range "commensurate with similar positions in comparable counties," and allows reimbursement for job-related expenses consistent with adopted budget policies.

Next steps: staff said they will revise language based on today's discussion and work with the county clerk to advertise a public hearing — likely scheduled within a few weeks — to give the public a chance to comment before the board takes final action.