The Interlocal Agreement (ILA), which contracts Medicus Forensics, P.A., to perform medical examiner services in Districts 5 and 24 of the Medical Examiner’s Office, has been amended to remain in effect until September 30, 2024. This was the second amendment to the ILA, which was set to expire on September 30th of this year. The amendment was approved at the September 26th Board of County Commissioners regular meeting. The ILA is to be re-negotiated before it expires in 2024.
District 5 includes Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Marion, Seminole, and Sumter Counties, with a combined population of roughly 1,090,000. District 24 includes Seminole County and has a population of approximately 460,000.
The original ILA with Medicus Forensics in 2013 covered only District 5. In 2018, the agreement was amended to include District 24 and arranged cost-sharing between the two districts. The 2018 amendment also created an advisory committee consisting of a commissioner from each county in District 5 to determine the annual compensation for Medicus Forensics.
According to the agreement, “Each of the District 5 Counties shall pay Marion (county) as Administrative Coordinator, for its proportionate share of the annual budget based on the populations of the respective counties…” No financial impact is noted for Hernando County at this time, however, $482,978 was adopted in the 2020 budget.
The first amendment from 2021 adds a commissioner from Seminole County to the Advisory Board.
