Pulaski County Coroner Jon Frain continues working to try to solidify some of his office’s policies. “Just a little history: notoriously, throughout the county’s handbook and other literature and stuff, even the website . . . the Coroner’s Office just doesn’t exist,” he told the county council last week, “and some of it’s like folklore. Some of it’s tradition. Some of it’s just kind of by the seat of our pants.”
Frain said one of the first things he wants to finalize is job descriptions. He said County Attorney Kevin Tankersley has determined that the coroner doesn’t need a job description, since it’s an elected position, but the chief deputy and alternate deputy do. Council Member Brian Young agreed to work with Frain and Tankersley on the job descriptions, which will then be brought to the full council for approval.
Frain has also pointed out that the coroner is the only office holder in the county who doesn’t get benefits through the Public Employee Retirement Fund. But he told council members last week that he’d be willing to hold off on getting PERF, if it can’t be done with this year’s budget. “Then we’ll just wait until 2021 or you can take money out of my budget, but we’re certainly not trying to break anything or ruin anything because you gave me a budget. I need to live within it, and I will,” Frain said.
Frain previously said that there’s no official documentation stating whether the coroner’s position is full-time or part-time.
