Picente: Oneida County Signs Medical Examiner Contract

Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente and Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney today signed the contract that will regionalize Oneida County’s medical examiner services. The contract was passed by both the Oneida County Board Legislators and the Onondaga County Legislature, and will take effect on January 1^st.

The contract with Onondaga County includes medical examiner services such as certifying cause of death and performing autopsies. It also includes five assistant forensic investigator positions, which have been filled by residents of Oneida County but will be Onondaga County employees. The Assistant Forensic Positions required professional experience as well as certain professional designations.

“This is true consolidation of services,” said Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente Jr. “I would like to thank Onondaga County Executive Mahoney for her leadership and for working with us in this innovative effort. I would also like to thank our District Attorney, Scott McNamara, whose office is most directly impacted by this transition, for his valuable input during the process. With this move, we have the ability to utilize a state of the art medical examiner’s office without the high costs associated with putting in place our own. I am looking forward to a seamless transition over the next few weeks and moving this County forward.”

"One of the main priorities government has is to look for ways to be more efficient and effective," said Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney.  "County Executive Picente has shown strong leadership in getting this contract in place and we are pleased to be providing Medical Examiner services to Oneida County."

The contract with Onondaga County runs through the calendar year. A number of other Central New York Counties also contract with the Onondaga County Medical Examiner’s Office, including Oswego, Madison and Cayuga Counties.