Alachua County Commission moves forward with interim contract for Medical Examiner after current Medical Examiner takes Tallahassee job

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – At the March 12 Alachua County Commission meeting, Assistant County Manager Tommy Crosby provided an update on the Medical Examiner’s Office and the board voted to negotiate a contract with District 6 Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Jon Thogmartin to provide interim services until a new Medical Examiner can be hired.

Previous actions on the Medical Examiner’s Office

The board voted on December 12, 2023, to create a Department of the Medical Examiner, transferring that office from the University of Florida to the County. The move was partially intended to persuade District 8 Medical Examiner Dr. Thomas Coyne to stay in Alachua County after Coyne said he’d had trouble hiring a new Associate Medical Examiner under the current agreement with UF, leading to a very heavy workload and the conclusion that he can no longer do it himself. Coyne said he had been offered a position as the District 2 Medical Examiner in Tallahassee. 

At the December 12 meeting, Commissioner Ken Cornell asked Coyne, “If we pass that motion, are you staying?” Coyne responded that he didn’t know what the salary would be, and he had “a great offer” from Tallahassee. Cornell said, “To me, this motion is a step of faith on both sides… We very much want to work with you… I don’t want to set a precedent, but if I hear you say yes, you’re staying, I’m prepared to move forward with the motion.” 

Coyne responded, “Sure… I’m taking a final leap of faith that you guys will work with us… I will say also… I have two boys and a wife who would kill me if I forced them to move again after a year.”

Cornell made a three-part motion on December 12, based on Coyne’s response:

• Approve the creation of a new Department of the Medical Examiner under the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners.
• Direct staff to negotiate a contract with the Medical Examiner at a competitive rate and bring it back to the Board for approval.
• Direct staff to conduct a compensation study for necessary positions and develop a budget for the new department.

The motion passed unanimously.

Coyne will leave for Tallahassee

At the March 12 meeting, Crosby told the board that Coyne had decided to take the job in Leon County, anyway, and his last day will be April 11. Crosby continued, “The State Attorney is required by statute to appoint an Interim Medical Examiner… Quite frankly, in this market, there are not a lot of options.”

Crosby said Dr. Jon Thogmartin, the District 6 Chief Medical Examiner, had offered to provide services to District 8 on an interim basis and that Thogmartin preferred contracting with the County rather than the University of Florida. Under the proposed contract, which will come before the board on March 26, Thogmartin will also help recruit and interview Medical Examiner candidates for District 8. 

Instead of creating a Department of the Medical Examiner at this time, Crosby recommended terminating the three-party agreement with UF and entering into interlocal agreements with the other counties in the district.

Motion

Cornell made a four-part motion:

• Authorize the County Manager or her designee to negotiate a contract with the District 6 Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Jon Thogmartin to provide services to District 8 on an interim basis;
• Authorize the County Commission Chair to terminate the three-party agreement for Medical Examiner services between Alachua County, Dr. Thomas Coyne, and the University of Florida, with a termination date of 30 days thereafter;
• Authorize the Chair to execute an interlocal agreement for Medical Examiner services with Baker, Bradford, Levy, Gilchrist, Union, and Dixie Counties;
• Approve staff to transition equipment and supplies from UF to support the District 8 Medical Examiner’s Office.

In response to a question from Tamara Robbins during public comment regarding the term of the interim agreement, Crosby said the agreement will start on April 12 and has a budget through Fiscal Year 2025. He said that finding a new Medical Examiner is typically an 18-month process, but there is no end date on the agreement.

County Attorney Sylvia Torres said, “I would remind the board that the State Attorney is the one who controls the appointment process, the recruiting process, but that appointment actually comes from the Governor.”

The motion was approved 3-0, with Commissioners Chuck Chestnut and Anna Prizzia absent.

40-acre Lake Santa Fe-Winchester property

In other business, the commission authorized the purchase of the 40-acre Lake Santa Fe-Winchester property. It’s in the northeastern portion of Alachua County and adjacent to the County’s Lake Alto Preserve, which buffers Lake Alto’s northern shoreline, just outside of Waldo.

The $72,000 purchase price will come from WSPP funds.