If someone wants to cremate a loved one who has passed, the fee from Shawano County will remain $125.
The Public Safety Committee unanimously turned down a request on Wednesday from Coroner Mike Jesse to increase the fee to $150, noting that the fee had been increased five years ago. The Finance Committee also rejected the proposal earlier this week.
Out of the 72 counties in Wisconsin, only 23 have a higher fee for cremation than Shawano, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
Neighboring Oconto, Waupaca and Brown counties charge $150 for cremation permits, while Marathon County charges $175. Menominee and Langlade counties charge $75.
Portage, Vilas and Washburn counties charge $50, the lowest fee in the state, according to DHS, while Milwaukee County is the highest at $325.
Administrative Coordinator Tom Madsen, who spoke against the fee increase at the Finance Committee meeting on Monday, reiterated his stance, questioning why the county needs to charge a fee for what he termed a personal decision. He said the fee is too high and questioned how labor intensive the process was.
Jesse said his process includes fingerprinting and photographing the body for record-keeping purposes.
When Madsen questioned why the coroner needed to do that, Jesse replied, “I think there is a law that says” it’s required.
“The statute is vague. It just says the county will issue a permit,” Madsen said. “It doesn’t say we have to charge. I don’t feel the government should be intrusive and have somebody fill out forms for something that is as private and personal as the interment of a loved one.”
After the vote, Jesse said he had no hard feelings about the committees’ decision and planned to move forward.
Categories
