THE LEWIS AND CLARK COUNTY
SHERIFF AND CORONER'S OFFICES
WILL BE COMBINED, STARTING IN
2019. (TAKE VO)
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS VOTED TWO
TO ONE THIS MORNING TO
CONSOLIDATE THE TWO OFFICES.
UNDER THE PLAN, THE SHERIFF WILL
OFFICIALLY TAKE OVER THE
CORONER'S DUTIES.
CURRENT CORONER BRYAN BACKEBERG
(BACK-UH-BURG) WILL BECOME AN
APPOINTED "CHIEF CORONER," AND
HIS TWO EMPLOYEES WILL ALSO JOIN
THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
SUPPORTERS SAY COMBINING THE
OFFICES WILL IMPROVE EFFICIENCY.
LEADERS SAY THE CHANGE WON'T
HAVE A MAJOR EFFECT ON THE
COUNTY BUDGET.
AT THIS TIME, COMMISSIONERS ARE
NOT INCREASING THE
SHERIFF'S SALARY.
SOME RAISED CONCERNS THAT DOING
SO WOULD REQUIRE THEM TO
RAISE SALARIES FOR DEPUTIES,
COSTING AN ADDITIONAL 100-
THOUSAND DOLLARS OR MORE.
COMMISSIONER SUSAN GOOD GEISE
(GEESE-EE)SAYS THE COUNTY
HAS SEVERAL MONTHS TO RESEARCH
HOW OTHER COUNTIES
WITH COMBINED OFFICES PAY THEIR
SHERIFFS.
TAKE SOT: XX:11 OC:..BUT ITS
SEPARATE.
"AS A POLICY, SHOULD THESE
OFFICES BE CONSOLIDATED? IN MY
MIND, THAT ANSWER IS YES.
THE COMPENSATION THING IS
RELATED, BUT IT'S
SEPARATE."
CONT.
VO
BACKEBERG SAID HE'S SATISFIED
WITH THE PLAN TO MAINTAIN JOBS
FOR
HIS STAFF, BUT HE'S CONCERNED A
SMALLER SHARE OF THE BUDGET WILL
BE SET ASIDE FOR CORONER'S
DUTIES.
THE CONSOLIDATION WILL TAKE
EFFECT IN JANUARY 2019,
WHEN COUNTY OFFICIALS BEGIN
THEIR NEXT TERMS.
CANDIDATESCAN START FILING TO
RUN FOR THE NEW OFFICE OF
SHERIFF-CORONER NEXT MONTH.
