Medical examiner touts lab efficiency as contract costs and fee requests rise

The county’s medical examiner and laboratory leaders told commissioners the office remains efficient even as contract costs rise and the county reviews fee schedules.

OMB staff presented the FY27 medical examiner budget, saying it increases by about $311,000 to $9.8 million and remains fully funded by the general fund. The professional services contract is the largest operating driver; OMB said contract costs are rising roughly $383,000 and the office is proposing fee increases for services charged to non‑Pinellas jurisdictions "to take a little bit of the financial burden off of Pinellas County taxpayers."

Dr. Thogmartin, the medical examiner, described a peak in synthetic opioid cases in 2022 and 2023 followed by a return to more stable caseloads. He credited the laboratory’s cost and performance management for shorter turnaround times in several recent multi‑jurisdictional cases. Rita, who leads laboratory operations, said the lab has won the Foresight Award from the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors for five consecutive years, a recognition that compares cost‑per‑case and analyst productivity across peer labs.

Staffing and costs: The medical examiner’s office currently reports three full‑time employees in the ME office and an operational reclassification to a CODIS administrator role; the lab reports eliminating a senior toxicology position through attrition and keeping staff lean where caseloads permit. Commissioners asked about onboarding time for new analysts; the lab estimated hiring experienced analysts shortens competency timelines to about nine months versus 12–18 months for entry‑level hires.

Opioid trends and community impact: Dr. Thogmartin and lab staff said they continue to see fentanyl in the supply but described the current street mix as more diluted than at the peak; they also credited broad naloxone availability and other interventions for reducing overdose fatalities from several hundred in 2022 to a substantially lower number in 2025.

Next steps: The board encouraged exploring fee adjustments for non‑county jurisdictions and continuing to pursue grants to offset operating pressures; no formal action was taken during the hearing.