Voters Decide Whether McHenry Co. Coroner Is Elected, Appointed

MCHENRY COUNTY, IL — McHenry County voters are being asked this election to decide whether the coroner should be elected or appointed by the county board. A full referendum, which will appear on the ballots of McHenry County voters, reads: "Shall the Coroner of McHenry County be eliminated as an Elected Office and be replaced by an appointed Coroner, appointed by a McHenry County Board Committee, to be effective November 30, 2020?"

McHenry County Board Chairman Jack Franks has been a strong backer of the referendum, which would get rid of the elected position in favor of a hired, full-time professional medical examiner.

"The Coroner's Office is plagued by problems caused by many years of mismanagement. However, the only requirements under Illinois law to be elected coroner is that you have to be at least 18 years old and a registered McHenry County voter," Franks, D-Marengo, said in a statement earlier this year. "It's past time to professionalize the office and and remove the politics from the vital job of investigating deaths and consoling next of kin."

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County officials began taking a closer look at the coroner's office earlier this year after former coroner Anne Majewski stepped down from her post. Franks had a third-party evaluation conducted by Dr. Dennis Kellar, a pulmonologist and sleep medicine specialist, done. After studying the office, Franks said the it was “in shambles,” had a history of dysfunction, and that a professional coroner was the better option, according to the Daily Herald.

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During an endorsement interview facilitated by the editorial boards of the Daily Herald and the Northwest Herald, the Republican candidate for coroner, Michael Rein, said the study was improper. He also said it’s “unlikely” Rein’s ever seen inside the coroner’s office and that the Illinois Coroner’s Association can complete a study for free, according to a Northwest Herald article.

Both Rein and Kelly Liebmann, a Libertarian from Wonder Lake, think the coroner should remain elected, according to the article. Liebmann also claims Majewski tried to improve the office but her efforts were blocked by Franks, according to the Northwest Herald article.

"I don't think the coroner's office is broken," she said. "I do believe it has been purposefully neglected for political reasons."

Currently, an elected coroner is required under state law to take a 40-hour basic training course within six months as well as 24 hours of continuing education each year.

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