Naperville residents who vote in DuPage County elections could face a ballot question that would eliminate the elected coroner's office and replace it with an appointed medical examiner, a board-certified forensic pathologist.
The DuPage County Board held a preliminary discussion on Tuesday, June 23, about creating the new position. If a majority of board members vote to place the question on a future ballot, every DuPage County voter would decide whether to make the switch. Under Illinois law, abolishing the coroner's office in a non-home-rule county requires voter approval via referendum.
What would change
The difference comes down to qualifications and accountability. Under Illinois law, a coroner needs no medical degree. The minimum training requirement is a 40-hour course over five consecutive days, plus 24 hours of continuing education each year. Autopsies are outsourced to independent pathologists.
A medical examiner must be a physician certified in forensic pathology. The position would be appointed by the county board chair and confirmed by the full board, rather than elected by voters.
Board Chair Deborah Conroy stressed at the June 23 meeting that the current coroner, Judith Lukas, meets all statutory requirements. "There's nothing the current coroner, who was elected, does not have, according to statute, so there's no issue there," Conroy said.
Who introduced the proposal
Board member James Zay of District 6 raised the idea during the new business portion of the June 23 meeting. He asked county staff, including the state's attorney's office, to research the logistics of making the change.
Zay framed the proposal as part of a broader pattern of governance restructuring discussions in DuPage County, citing past talks about combining the recorder's office with the clerk's office and eliminating the auditor's office.
Board member Cindy Cronin Cahill of District 1 voiced support for requiring medical credentials, saying she believes the credentials are important and best serve the public. Board member Lucy Chang Evans of District 3 asked colleagues to keep the discussion objective and not frame it as a criticism of current staff.
Conroy said she is not taking a position and will let the board reach consensus after reviewing the research.
What's still unknown
The county has not released any cost analysis comparing the two models. No specific ballot date has been identified. Coroner Lukas, a registered nurse who won election in November 2024 by more than 5,600 votes over three-term incumbent Richard Jorgensen, has not publicly responded to the proposal. Her office did not issue a statement.
DuPage County would be the second county in Illinois to adopt a medical examiner system. Cook County is the only one that has done so, and because Cook is a home-rule county, it did not need a voter referendum.
What comes next
Conroy confirmed at the June 23 meeting that the board will continue the discussion at 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 14, at the DuPage County Administration Building in Wheaton. The agenda for that meeting has not yet been posted. Residents can monitor DuPage County Board agendas at dupagecounty.gov.
The cost analysis and legal research requested from the state's attorney's office have not been made public. Residents seeking those documents when available may submit a request under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140) through the county's FOIA portal.
City Hall week ahead
- Thursday, July 9, 7 p.m. — Naperville Park District Board of Commissioners meeting, Fort Hill Activity Center, 20 Fort Hill Drive. Livestreamed on the Park District's YouTube channel.
- Tuesday, July 14, 10 a.m. — DuPage County Board meeting, County Administration Building, Wheaton. Expected continued discussion on coroner-to-medical-examiner conversion.
