The Public Protection and Judiciary Committee voted to establish a cremation burial transit fee of $114.38 to be charged by the St. Croix County medical examiner's office when a body is brought across the state line for cremation.

Committee members discussed that the county currently charges $164.38 for a cremation certificate and that Minnesota charges $50 for a similar certificate. Mr. Witt, who presented the item, said the prior medical examiner "didn't wanna be double charging people," and proposed charging only the difference so county residents who already paid the Minnesota fee would not be charged twice.

The committee heard that the newly appointed medical examiner completed 20 out-of-state cremation cases in her first month and that the reduced transit fee would amount to roughly $2,000 a month or about $25,000 a year in potential revenue while acknowledging the examiner still must perform a records review for each case.

A committee member made the motion to establish the transit fee and another member seconded. The committee approved the motion by voice vote; the chair called for ayes and, after no opposition was voiced, declared the motion passed.

The action directs the county to add the transit fee to its fee schedule; no additional policy changes or external approvals were described during the meeting.