This funning that the County Board did not even worry about this until after the Former Coroner was fired ( A Rep ) and a ( A Dem ) was appointed by the law. Then they have spent a large amount of time and effort to change. It is time to change the Board until they understand we are not all rich and have deep pockets unlike themself.

Look at the last few votes on the ME issue from the board and tell me they're non-partisan. The administrator may get to select (which I highly doubt) but the board gets to vote on the person (after heavy influence on who gets picked in the first place). You could have the best qualified person on the planet apply, but if the chairman or another one of his yes votes doesn't like the person they will not get the job. They will appoint based on what they want not what is best for the county. They always have, always will. Case in point, there is a vacant spot on the board right now, who do you think is going to get that spot? I'll wager on someone that will do the chair's bidding. To say that it's not going to be politicized is laughable.

An appointed examiner selected on the basis of merit, as with the city's police and fire chiefs, is the exact opposite of "politicized".
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Note that nobody has actually voted for the system to be replaced. This was an advisory referendum.

So I'm not sure why the majority of Rock County voters want to politicize the coroner position-I don't like the idea of a few elites selecting the person in charge of dealing with "foul-play" death investigations; talk about good ole' boy politics.... I really hope the county does NOT listen to the referendum and continues to have a coroner instead of an ME.

Uhh, what plan? I haven't seen one. The board has been asked for one, several times, and has produced nothing.

Nothing like the minority blaming the majority of being ignorant and un-informed.

What would this cost taxpayers?

We should keep our right to vote for a coroner. We should also have the right to vote for a mayor, which we don't have now.

Interesting that the Board STILL hasn't put forth a proposal of the cost's and required changes that would have to occur for a Medical Examiner. Those who voted probably think they are getting a forensic pathologist to do autopsies. Rock County doesn't even have a storage facility to hold our loved ones. Rock County isn't going to hire a forensic pathologist, all it is-is a name change and the fact that the Board can control the Office. In other words the Board can control how a death investigation proceeds (even though none of the Board members have no death investigation experience) and they can be an intimidating influence if they have a family member pass away from drug related or some type of embarassing death. Taking the right of the citizens to vote is disgusting. Our county has been operating on a coroner's, sheriff's, district attorney, clerk system for centuries. Should we also have the Board take our rights to vote for those offices as well?

"Board members, however, don't have to follow the referendum's outcome because it was not binding."
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What a crock.........

This just show's how stupid the current County Board thinks of the average county person is. We are now going to pay twice as much for someone to do the same job. It is now time to flush out the current leadership of the County Board this coming spring. We can not let them keep stealing from our pockets. They keep adding more FEEs and TAXes to a County that can not pay the bill. Let us place on the referendum to cut the County Board by half. Lets start with the CHAIR. We pay for 29 people in a county that should have maybe 15. This is great example of the OLD BOYS CLUB. If you were stupid to vote to give away your right to vote for an office then you need to pay more of your tax money to these crooks.

It will be interesting to see what happens. Those who wanted to remove the right from voters to vote for their coroner will be using the voters to support their cause. Those that wanted to have voters keep their ability to vote will now have to decide if they will grant the wishes of voters by removing their right to vote. Interesting development.