Lincoln County’s coroner budget hit by soaring transport costs as population grows

Lack of local morgue drives up costs for transporting and storing the dead, coroner says

The Lincoln County Courthouse

Lincoln County’s coroner's budget is set for a sharp increase next year, driven by a surge in the number of body transports and rising costs tied to the county’s rapid population growth, according to the county coroner.

The proposed 2026 budget calls for a 33.6 percent overall increase, with the costs of transporting deceased individuals jumping to $60,800, Coroner Kenneth Snell said at Tuesday’s County Commission meeting.

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