Cobb sets aside additional $8 million for new forensic lab

The Cobb County medical examiner’s office has undergone staffing changes since a critical 2014 audit found no functional oversight by the county. (John Spink, jspink@ajc.com AJC File Photo)

The Cobb County medical examiner’s office has undergone staffing changes since a critical 2014 audit found no functional oversight by the county. (John Spink, jspink@ajc.com AJC File Photo)

Cobb took another step Tuesday in its effort to overhaul the county medical examiner's office, four years after an internal audit found serious problems in the department.

Commissioners agreed to contribute $8 million from the general fund toward a new, state-of-the-art laboratory facility, estimated to cost about $11 million total. Another $3 million will come from sales taxes.

Replacing the current, 40-year-old facility is necessary to serve the needs of a growing county, and a prerequisite for the office to win accreditation from the National Association of Medical Examiners, county officials said.

The $8 million was not a budgeted expense, however. Though the project was earmarked for $3 million out of the 2016 local sales tax fund, Chairman Mike Boyce said that was never a realistic price tag.

He said the county was dipping into its reserve funds this time, but has changed its policy for how projects are placed on SPLOST lists in the future.

“It was a flawed process in the past,” said Boyce, who has held office since 2017.

As physicians trained to conduct autopsies, medical examiners play a role that is both law enforcement and public health. They investigate cause of death in suspected homicides, and track trends in fatalities from drug overdose and disease.

The push to reform the medical examiner’s office was driven largely by Cobb resident Tom Cheek, who lost his son in a fire six years ago.

Cheek said when he sought basic answers from the medical examiner about his son's case, he became aware of a lack of proper training and facilities in the department. The county audit later confirmed his concerns, and the medical examiner resigned.

Cheek said the county has made “fantastic progress” in the years since, implementing new standards and oversight, and hiring highly qualified personnel.

The new facility is needed to gain accreditation and ensure those fixes stick.

“There’s no way they could qualify with that outdated facility,” Cheek said. “Medical examiners come and go, but if you have that accreditation that is a lasting solution to make sure things are done right.”