Columbia County could share Medical Examiner Angela Hinze with neighboring Adams County, but it's far from a done deal, and details need to be worked out.

The County Board's judiciary committee Wednesday discussed the matter as Hinze presented sample contracts used by other Wisconsin counties whose medical examiner serves at least one other county.

What that would mean for the finances of either Adams County or Columbia County is one of the many issues that needs to be ironed out before the Adams County Board of Supervisors decides whether to pursue a sharing arrangement.

And right now, said Adams County Board Chairman Al Sebastiani of Oxford, the ball is in Hinze's court.

Sebastiani said he had asked Hinze to come back to him with her ideas on issues such as what duties she might perform, what kind of staff she might need based in Adams County and other logistical issues.

Wednesday's discussion at the Columbia County judiciary committee was one step in that direction.

Hinze said Adams County has an elected coroner.

According to Adams County's Web site, www.co.adams.wi.gov, Coroner Terry Scheel has a staff consisting of one chief deputy and two deputy coroners. Columbia County has an appointed medical examiner, Hinze; a chief deputy; two deputies; and an investigator.

In Wisconsin, Hinze said, a coroner is an elected post, for which anyone age 18 or older with a high school diploma is eligible, except sworn police officers or funeral directors. A medical examiner is an appointed post, which requires specific training and certification in death investigation.

Hinze said Adam County's overture to Columbia County - first made in 2006, when Marc Playman was coroner (he became medical examiner in 2007) - is part of a trend toward regional sharing of government services.

Sebastiani said the preliminary information he's gathered seems to indicate that having Hinze serve as medical examiner for both Adams and Columbia counties, instead of having an elected coroner, would probably not save money for Adams County. But it would give Adams County access to the training and expertise required for a medical examiner, he said.

If the change is to be made, Sebastiani said, the 20-member Adams County Board of Supervisors would have to approve it no later than December 2010, because that's when candidates would begin taking out nomination papers for the April 2011 election for coroner.

The matter has been discussed by Adams County's executive committee, and would also have to be reviewed by its public safety and judiciary committee, Sebastiani said.

The sample agreements that Hinze presented to Columbia County's judiciary committee included the agreement between Oneida and Forest counties, and the agreement between Brown, Oconto and Door counties.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Richard Boockmeier expressed interest in pursuing the issue further.

"It seems to make good practical sense," he said. "The question is the technicalities."

ljerde@capitalnewspapers.com

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