Coroner asks commissioners for $10,000 autopsy budget increase, cites possible price hikes and national standards

The coroner asked Bonner County commissioners to raise the autopsy budget by $10,000 to provide flexibility for additional investigations and to prepare for an expected price increase from the Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office, which currently performs autopsies for Bonner County.

The coroner said Spokane has not raised prices in several years but that past practice included mid‑budget increases and that the county has had to return later in the year to request additional funds. “I anticipate at some point in the next couple years an increase in cost for autopsies,” the coroner said, and argued the added appropriation would avoid repeated mid‑year requests.

He told commissioners that nationally recommended autopsy rates vary but that Bonner County autopsied about 5.88% of deaths in 2025, below a commonly cited lower bound of 7% to 9% used for planning in some jurisdictions. The coroner said raising the budget would allow more thorough death investigations when medical history is unclear.

Commissioners discussed alternatives, including reserving contingency funds and asking the coroner to return with specific estimates if Spokane raises fees. The coroner said he prefers to keep Spokane as the contract provider, citing convenience and available capacity, but acknowledged that future local pathology capacity (in neighboring counties) could change that assessment.

The board heard the request and did not take a vote at the hearing.