To: Martin L. Cousineau, Finance Committee Chairperson
From: Brian Hunter M.D.
title
RE: Approval of a proposed amendment to the 2025-2026 Appropriations Resolution, in the amount of $30,000.00, to provide for additional medical examiner scene investigation services; funding for this proposed amendment will come from fund balance in General Fund
recommendation
BOARD ACTION REQUESTED:
Approval of a proposed budget amendment for contracted scene investigators, and associated purchase orders increasing the authorized combined expenditure limit from $200,000.00 to $230,000.00 as set forth in resolution 2025-2436.
BACKGROUND:
In March 2025, the Medical Examiner's Office transitioned from utilizing a third-party vendor for death scene investigation services to establishing direct contractual agreements with individual investigators. This change provided our office with greater oversight, flexibility, and cost control while supporting workforce continuity. On December 3, 2025, the Human Services Committee approved a combined expenditure limit of $200,000.00 for all contracted scene investigators for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, paid from account 1010-648.00-801.000. As part of the transition, the office also entered into a contract with a dispatch service, the cost of which was absorbed into the existing budget without a formal budget amendment. Concurrently, a staffing shortage resulting from a full-time employee's extended maternity and personal leave necessitated a more aggressive utilization of contracted personnel to maintain adequate coverage. While the office does not anticipate expending the full additional amount requested, securing the additional funds will ensure that contracted investigators are compensated promptly and without administrative interruption.
DISCUSSION:
The Medical Examiner's Office is requesting a budget amendment of $30,000.00 from the general fund to 1010-648.00-801.000 to address an unanticipated shortfall in the contracted services line item, and a corresponding increase to the previously approved combined expenditure limit from $200,000.00 to $230,000.00. Two converging factors have driven increased expenditures beyond original projections for the current fiscal year. First, the cost of a newly established dispatch service contract was incorporated into the office's operational workflow during the transition away from a third-party vendor. While this service is essential for coordinating on-call investigator response and ensuring timely death scene coverage, its cost was not separately budgeted at the time of the transition and has contributed to the current shortfall. Second, an extended leave of absence by a full-time Medical Examiner's Office employee has required a sustained increase in the use of contracted scene investigators to fulfill staffing obligations. Death investigations are time-sensitive and legally mandated; as such, the office has had no alternative but to rely more heavily on contracted personnel during this period. This increased utilization, while necessary to maintain service levels and meet statutory obligations, has accelerated expenditures at a pace greater than originally forecasted. It should be noted that the office does not expect to exhaust the full additional $30,000.00. However, having the funds appropriately authorized ensures that all contracted investigators can be compensated in a timely and compliant manner, and that the office is not placed in the position of incurring obligations without sufficient budgetary authority. This request is consistent with sound fiscal management and reflects the office's commitment to transparency with the Board of Commissioners.
IMPACT ON HUMAN RESOURCES:
None
IMPACT ON BUDGET:
$30,000.00 from the general fund; total authorized combined investigator expenditure increases from $200,000.00 to $230,000.00, paid from account 1010-648.00-801.000 (Service Contracts).
IMPACT ON FACILITIES:
None
IMPACT ON TECHNOLOGY:
None
CONFORMITY TO COUNTY PRIORITIES:
The Medical Examiner's Office plays a critical role in advancing public safety, one of Genesee County's core priorities. The office is statutorily responsible for investigating all deaths that are sudden, unexpected, violent, or otherwise suspicious in nature. Ensuring that the office maintains adequate investigative staffing - particularly during periods of personnel shortage - is essential to fulfilling this mandate. Timely and thorough death scene investigations support law enforcement efforts, provide closure to families, and contribute to the integrity of the judicial process. By securing the necessary budgetary authority to compensate contracted investigators, the County affirms its commitment to uninterrupted public safety services and responsible stewardship of its medical examiner function.
resolution
TO THE HONORABLE CHAIRPERSON AND MEMBERS OF THE GENESEE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, GENESEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
WHEREAS, the Genesee County Board of Commissioners previously authorized a combined expenditure limit of $200,000.00 for contracted scene investigators for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, to be paid from account 1010-648.00-801.000, as approved at the December 3, 2025 meeting of the Board of Commissioners.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that this Board of County Commissioners of Genesee County, Michigan, approves the request by the Medical Examiner to authorize increasing the expenditure limit for contracted scene investigators from $200,000.00 to $230,000.00 for fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, to be paid from account 1010-648.00-801.000, is approved (a copy of the memorandum request and supporting documents being on file with the official records of the July 15, 2026 meeting of the Finance Committee of this Board), and the Chief Financial Officer is directed to record the attached budget amendment.