Naperville families who depend on the DuPage County Coroner's Office when a loved one dies suddenly or unexpectedly won't get a say this November on whether that office should exist in its current form.
The DuPage County Board voted 11-6 on Wednesday, Aug. 12, to reject an ordinance that would have placed a referendum on the November ballot asking voters whether to abolish the elected coroner's office and replace it with an appointed medical examiner. The vote split strictly along party lines, with all six Republicans voting yes and all 11 Democrats voting no, the Chicago Tribune reported.
The coroner's office handles roughly 6,500 deaths per year out of about 10,000 total in the county. As recently as July 27, the office identified the remains of missing Naperville resident Gabriel De Sagun, 28, recovered from an Elmhurst quarry.
The referendum push followed months of Republican criticism of Coroner Judith Lukas, a Democrat who won the seat in 2024. Board member Jim Zay, a Carol Stream Republican who led the effort, cited staff turnover, low morale and a complaint that Lukas brought her untrained puppy into the office. Zay argued an appointed medical examiner, chosen by the county board chair with board consent, would create a more professional environment. Cook County is the only one of Illinois's 102 counties that uses an appointed medical examiner rather than an elected coroner.
Democrats: let voters decide in 2028
The Democratic majority framed the vote differently. Board member Dawn DeSart, an Aurora Democrat, argued that rushing a governance change onto the November ballot without public education was premature, and that unhappy voters could simply elect a different coroner in 2028.
DuPage County Board Chair Deborah Conroy said the switch would likely cost taxpayers more, not less. The county already employs a full-time medical examiner on staff to conduct autopsies, and appointed medical examiners command higher salaries than elected coroners.
"I'm pretty sure that this will not save us any money … I think it could cost us more money," Conroy said.
Even Democrats who voted against the referendum expressed concern about how Lukas is managing the office.
The puppy complaint
Lukas was absent from the Aug. 12 meeting, saying she was at a training exercise. But she confirmed on Thursday, Aug. 13, that she did bring her puppy to work. She said the puppy was kept away from deputy coroners and the public, and declined to say whether she had previously been told not to bring the dog.
Lukas said she has asked the county's human resources department for a full independent investigation into the complaint.
What it means for Naperville
The staffing dispute dates to at least June, when the Judicial and Public Safety Committee debated adding a full-time deputy coroner position. The full board approved that hire on June 23 after Lukas, communications manager Evan Shields and CFO Jeff Martynowicz answered questions about the office's workload.
With the referendum dead, the next opportunity for voters to weigh in on the coroner's office comes in the 2028 election.
County calendar
- Tuesday, Aug. 18: DuPage County Board Special Call meeting for budget presentations. Agenda available at dupage.legistar.com.
- September (date TBD): Next regular DuPage County Board meeting. Check dupage.legistar.com for the posted agenda.
