DuPage board rejects proposed referendum on eliminating coroner

DuPage County officials have rejected a proposal to have voters decide whether the county should continue to have an elected coroner.

County board members on Tuesday refused to pursue a ballot question that would have asked if the coroner position should be eliminated and replaced with an appointed medical examiner.

The county board’s six Republicans were the only ones who supported a plan to put the question on the November ballot. Eleven Democratic members voted against it.

The vote came after Republicans roundly criticized how Democrat Judith Lukas has run the coroner’s office since her election in 2024.

Board members critical of Lukas pointed to remarks she made during a July committee meeting, when she defended a request for an additional employee by saying her office was not thorough enough in its investigations.

The board members also raised concerns about a recent memo highlighting turnover within the coroner’s office, low morale, and a claim that Lukas brought her untrained dog into the office.

“We’ve seen major issues at the coroner’s office, and it’s unfortunate,” said county board member Jim Zay, a Carol Stream Republican.

Zay suggested a medical examiner, appointed by the county board chair with the consent of the board, could provide a more professional environment. Cook County is the only county in Illinois to have a medical examiner. All others have elected coroners.

Opponents of the measure questioned if a medical examiner would be beneficial. The county already has a full-time medical examiner on staff to conduct autopsies. Moving to an appointed medical examiner could increase costs, as medical examiners typically are paid more than coroners.

“I’m pretty sure that this will not save us any money … I think it could cost us more money,” County board Chair Deborah Conroy said.

Some Democratic board members noted that voters unhappy with Lukas’ performance can express their dissatisfaction in the 2028 election.

Board member Dawn DeSart, an Aurora Democrat, argued that putting a question on the November ballot would not provide enough time to educate the public about what moving from an elected coroner to an appointed medical examiner would mean for costs and operations.

“Throwing this question on the November ballot with no explanation is not transparent government,” she said.

DeSart noted that while several board members may not support Lukas, voters elected her in 2024, and they could elect someone else in 2028 if they are not pleased with her performance. A change to a medical examiner would be a “change in governance,” DeSart argued.

While they voted against putting a question on the November ballot, several Democrats expressed concerns about how the office is run and complaints about Lukas’ dog being in the office.

Lukas confirmed on Wednesday that she brought her puppy to work and “she (the puppy) messed, but I cleaned it up.”

She also noted that the dog was kept in an area away from employees and the public. She declined to comment on whether she was previously told she could not bring the dog to work.

However, Lukas said she has asked for an investigation into the matter.

“I take every complaint seriously, and I have asked for a full independent investigation into the complaint,” she said, noting she reached out to the county’s human resources department Tuesday and Wednesday to make her request.