FLORENCE, Wis. — The Florence County Board has decided to end having an elected coroner in favor of an appointed medical examiner.

Florence County Coroner Jeff Rickaby has announced he will not seek re-election when his term expires in 2026. The board estimates it will take the remaining time on Rickaby’s term to find a medical examiner.

Rickaby told the board Tuesday one advantage of switching to a medical examiner is the county can select a qualified individual, while no experience is required to be elected coroner.

Board Chairman Chad Hedmark said the medical examiner would be a part-time position, at a pay rate to be determined.

Rickaby said he puts in about eight hours a week as coroner and he and his deputy each make $9,600 a year, adding the county may have a hard time finding a medical examiner to work for that.

Rickaby also said the county could increase the fee it charges to inspect cremations from $100 to $150, raising some additional revenue for the medical examiner’s office. The state average for the inspections is $156.

Neighboring Dickinson County in Michigan has a medical examiner, Dr. Martin Cristanelli, who operates at a facility at Ford Airport in Kingsford.

The board also voted to create a deputy medical examiner position.

In other business, the board:

— Approved creating the Fifth Addition and Pearson Addition at the Homestead-Aurora Cemetery. The town boards for Aurora and Homestead already passed the resolutions, but an ordinance for the cemetery’s creation in 1951 requires county board approval as well.

— Adopted a resolution to add additional defendants to the county’s opioid litigation.

— Authorized resolutions urging the Wisconsin Counties Association to support redistribution of 0.5% of the state sales tax back to the counties and to request the state legislature and governor amend the levy limit cap on counties by permitting a 3% annual tax levy increase.

— Appointed County Land Conservationist Shawna Broullire to the Land Information Council.

— Named Janice Jonet and Amy Hill to the Aging and Disability Resource Center board as community members at large.

— Set a special board meeting for 6 p.m. June 25 to discuss future goals and possible reorganization of some departments.