KINGSTON – The Ulster County Legislature Tuesday night approved adding $50,000 to the budget for forensic pathology and morgue storage services provided by Westchester Medical Center HealthAlliance Hospital in Kingston.
Republican Minority Leader Ken Ronk said service has declined as pathologists retired and it may be time to explore other options.
“Do we contract with Dutchess County? Yes, it was a lot more expensive back when we looked at it – it’s probably still more expensive today, but I don’t know that you put a price on a family’s grief, and making sure that these services happen in a timely manner can also help our law enforcement partners and our district attorney partners and others solve crimes,” he said.
The measure to increase the cost of the services was approved by an overwhelming majority of lawmakers.
