Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Future steps still in discussion
Lincoln County Commissioner Rob Coffman presents the County Road Administration Board certificate of good practice to Public Works Director Dave Orvis at the Commissioners' meeting Monday, May 20.
DAVENPORT - The Lincoln County Commissioners officially passed an ordinance declaring the county won't have an elected coroner at a regular meeting Monday, May 20.
The move comes in response to House Bill 1326, which was passed in 2021 and contains a section declaring every county should have an elected county coroner, except in counties with less than 40,000 residents.
There, the county legislative authority may determine that no coroner shall be elected, which is the decision the Commissioners reached Monday.
The Commissioners cited the unaffordable costs of creating a new elected position in their reasoning. The Board has been in discussion with the Adams County Commissioners about possibly sharing an appointed coroner, but no decision has been reached.
Both counties' respective prosecuting attorneys presently act as Coroner, or ex-officio Coroner in Adams County.
In other business Monday, the Commissioners presented Public Works Director Dave Orvis with the County Road Administration Board certificate of good practice, which is awarded to Public Works departments successfully overseeing "the administration of county roads and the safe and efficient movement of people and goods over county roads."
It's a recognition that Commissioner Rob Coffman noted isn't bestowed upon every county.
The Commissioners also approved the temporary hires of several summer employees, a cannabis license renewal application from Northwest Industrees, the resignation of Jeff Shibel from the Water Conservacy Board and the hiring of deputy Blake Martin with the Sheriff's Office.
Drew Lawson is the editor of the Davenport Times. He is a graduate of Eastern Washington University.
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