Coroner outlines fee increases, staff pay requests and new morgue-storage revenue

Travis Norris, Vigo County coroner, presented his office’s budget needs and operational changes to the budget committee.

Norris said the county’s forensic pathologist raised autopsy fees by $100, reducing predictability in that line item; he also said the office is performing fewer autopsies overall because of more in-depth case reviews. He noted other recurring costs — toxicology and transportation — and said he had budgeted modest cushions in case those fees rise.

Norris described a new revenue stream: the coroner’s facility is now storing bodies for other counties and charging approximately $100 per body per day. He said Vermillion County already uses the service and that revenue has begun to offset some morgue-related costs.

Norris asked the committee to consider future compensation adjustments for deputies and his office manager, arguing those employees now perform more complex electronic reporting and courtroom duties. He proposed bumping deputy stipends closer to $10,000 annually and increasing the chief deputy and office manager pay, citing expanded responsibilities.

Why it matters: The coroner’s office manages public-health logistics surrounding deaths and forensic investigations; new inter-county storage revenue and staffing costs affect the county’s general fund and service capacity.

Next steps: Norris will provide final salary adjustment figures tied to the council’s earlier raise and monitor autopsy and toxicology fee trends; no immediate increases were approved at the hearing.