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OFFICE OF THE MEDICAL EXAMINER <br />DISTRICT 19 <br />Roger E. Mittleman, M.D. <br />Chief Medical Examiner <br />March 26, 2020 <br />2500 South 35th Street — Fort Pierce, FL 34981-5573 <br />(772) 464-7378 • Fax (772) 464-2409 <br />Ms. Kristin Daniels <br />Budget Director <br />Indian River County Board of County Commissioners <br />1801 27th Street <br />Vero Beach, FL 32960-3365 <br />Dear Kristin: <br />0 <br />Linda Rush O'Neil, M.D. <br />Associate Medical Examiner <br />E <br />0 <br />:A,9 1 J LCL <br />I am submitting the District 19 Medical Examiner's fiscal year 2020-2021 budget to the <br />Indian River County Board of County Commissioners for approval. <br />I am also pleased to announce that The Medical Examiner Commission Selection <br />Committee has recommended to Governor Ron DeSantis, Dr. Patricia Aronica of the Baltimore <br />Medical Examiner as my replacement. Dr. Aronica has a keen interest in education and is very <br />interested in establishing professional certification of the office via the National Association of <br />Medical Examiners, a task that was impossible in the past years because of the staggering <br />workload performed by only two pathologists. Her competency, pleasing personality and twenty <br />years of forensic experience will well serve the counties. <br />The overall request before applying the credit of unused funds is $2,830,062 a decrease <br />of -4.66%. <br />The adjusted budget request after deducting the credit of unused funds is an increase for <br />Indian River County of 8.33%. This increase, after the credit of unused funds, was anticipated <br />and was emphasized in our previous budget request due to the substantial amount of credit of <br />unused funds that occurred last year resulting in a negative budget request for all counties. <br />Fortunately, a decrease in workload last fiscal year has resulted in additional credit of unused <br />funds making this increase significantly less than expected. We feel this increase is very <br />reasonable given the growth we've experienced and the fact that the average of this year and last <br />year's request is only an increase of 3.89%. <br />• <br />Budget increases in this request include a 4 x 4 vehicle Dr. Aronica has requested which <br />will allow the Forensic Investigators to drive to scenes. Currently, they use their own vehicle <br />and receive mileage reimbursement. A 4 x 4 vehicle will allow them to get to scenes that are <br />difficult to access (fields, mud, etc.). Dr. Aronica also requested that we include the cost for all • <br />96 <br />SERVING... INDIAN RIVER, MARTIN, OKEECHOBEE AND ST. LUCIE COUNTIES <br />