As part of an ongoing effort to streamline operations and share services, the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders will merge its medical examiner’s office with Middlesex County’s medical examiner’s office effective April 1, according to a press release from Monmouth County.
“State statute permits the regionalization of medical examiners offices, so we are taking advantage of our geographic proximity to merge with Middlesex’s state-of-the-art facility,” Monmouth County Freeholder Deputy Director Serena DiMaso said. “We have been working with the Middlesex office for the past seven years, so we know this merger will work for both counties.”
The Monmouth County freeholders adopted a resolution on Feb. 11 to formalize the arrangement. The Middlesex County Board of Freeholders adopted a similar resolution on Feb. 18, according to the press release.
“In building on that initial partnership, we will make better use of our state-of-the-art facility and increase our revenues for the next decade,” Middlesex County Freeholder Director Ronald G. Rios said. “Our staff, under the supervision of our Medical Examiner Dr. Diane Karluk, has done an outstanding job in providing these very specialized services for our county and will now use that expertise to serve Monmouth County.”
The term of the arrangement will be for 10 years and Monmouth County will pay Middlesex County $1.4 million per year. The arrangement will save Monmouth County more than $1 million over 10 years, according to the press release.
“Monmouth and Middlesex began this partnership with a shared service agreement in 2009,” Monmouth County Freeholder Director Thomas A. Arnone said. “The success of that arrangement has led both counties to commit to a 10-year merger for this necessary service.”
The Middlesex County Office of the Medical Examiner is in North Brunswick. The office investigates all unexplained natural deaths and violent deaths in order to determine cause and manner of death. The office also preserves evidence, analyzes physical evidence and provides expert testimony in courts of law, according to the press release.
