PORT ANGELES — This week, Clallam County is ringing in both a new year and a new coroner.
Effective Wednesday, Judge David Neupert will serve as Clallam County’s coroner, replacing former coroner and current county prosecutor Mark Nichols.
Nichols submitted his resignation for the position, effective Tuesday, after state law changes and an attorney general’s opinion indicated that prosecutors would no longer be able to serve as the county coroner due to potential conflicts of interest.
After the attorney general’s opinion was released in August, other counties around the state also had to quickly make changes. Last week, Jefferson County decoupled its coroner’s office from its prosecuting attorney’s office and appointed local funeral director David Bradley to serve as coroner.
Clallam’s situation is a little more complicated, however, because it is a charter county. Its charter dictates that the county prosecuting attorney will automatically serve as coroner.
To determine how the county could align with the state law changes, which went into effect Wednesday, while not violating its own charter, the county consulted with Duncan Fobes from the Seattle-based law firm Patterson, Buchanan, Fobes and Leitch.
Fobes presented the county with a few options. His principal recommendation was that the county utilize a portion of state law that states if the coroner’s office is vacant, the duties may be performed by any of the county’s district court judges.
Clallam County has two district court judges, Neupert and Judge Bruce Hanify.
Both Neupert and Hanify were willing to become interim coroner, county administrator Todd Mielke said. However, Neupert presides over District Court I, located in Port Angeles, while Hanify presides over District Court II, located in Forks. Because the coroner’s office is also located in Port Angeles, Mielke said it would make more sense for Neupert to serve as interim coroner.
Neupert will be compensated for serving in that role, as required by state law. Although the final compensation amount remains to be worked out, Mielke said it is not to be less than $8,900.
Neupert will serve as coroner until the county’s charter has been amended and a new coroner is either appointed by the commissioners or elected by the people.
The charter review commission will be able to deliberate about whether the coroner should be appointed or elected, if they wish, when they convene in 2025, Commissioner Mike French said.
“If they decide not to take this issue up, then we can move forward with another path, but I think they should have the ability to debate it,” Commissioner Mark Ozias said during Monday’s work session.
If the charter review commission decides not to take on the issue, the commissioners could then discuss it themselves and place an item on a ballot for citizen approval.
________
Reporter Emma Maple can be reached by email at emma.maple@peninsuladailynews.com.
