RCRC has expressed its opposition to Assembly Bill 1608, authored by Assembly Member Mike Gipson (D-Carson), which would remove county authority to combine the duties of the Sheriff with the duties of the Coroner.
Currently, a County Board of Supervisors can enact an ordinance to consolidate the Sheriff and Coroner into a single elected office. Whether combined or separate offices, the Sheriff and Coroner must both be elected unless voters in that county say otherwise. AB 1608 would require counties with a combined Sheriff-Coroner function to either (1) combine the Coroner with another authorized elected office, (2) transition to a standalone elected Coroner, or (3) replace the Coroner model with a Medical Examiner office. To decouple the duties of the Sheriff-Coroner and transition the Coroner to an appointed office, would require approval by the voters, and is an additional expense on top of the costs of transitioning the duties of the Coroner to a new model. Regardless of whether a county has a Medical Examiner, separate Coroner, or Sheriff-Coroner, a medical professional always performs the forensic autopsy.
Thirty-eight of the thirty-nine RCRC member counties have consolidated the Sheriff-Coroner into a single elected office. In rural counties, the consolidation occurs for many reasons, including:
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The maintenance and function of two separate offices is more expensive, especially for our smaller counties.
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The consolidation of small, elected offices results in administrative and fiscal management efficiencies.
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Many of the deaths that a Coroner investigates have criminal or other law enforcement components, which is best achieved through an office or entity that has relevant investigatory expertise.
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The number of deaths that require the Coroner's involvement in rural counties is significantly lower than in urban counties. Rural counties do not have the economy of scale that necessitates a standalone office.
This bill would have a significant fiscal impact in rural counties, and RCRC maintains that the duly elected Board of Supervisors remains the most appropriate body to evaluate fiscal and operational impacts associated with organizing the county’s many vital functions and to make related decisions about the county’s structure. Therefore, RCRC has submitted proposed amendments that would allow smaller counties with a population of less than 500,000 to continue a consolidated model, along with amendments that would allow the County Board of Supervisors to determine, by ordinance, whether the Coroner should be elected or appointed, with an effective date of July 1, 2024, to provide sufficient time for counties to transition services.
On April 6th, AB 1608 passed out of the Assembly Local Government Committee with absolutely no discussion about the impacts to county government or the concerns raised by RCRC and the California State Association of Counties. AB 1608 is set for hearing in the Assembly Public Safety Committee on April 19, 2022.
RCRC urges our member counties to write a letter of opposition, expressing the local impacts of this bill. In addition, RCRC encourages members to review the fiscal impacts of this bill and share the information with RCRC staff. RCRC’s letter of opposition is available here. For more information, please contact RCRC Policy Advocate, Sarah Dukett.