Polk County Supervisors approve severance for medical examiner, enter agreement with state office
The Polk County Board of Supervisors has approved a severance agreement with the medical examiner.
Dr. Rory Deol was hired just a few months ago, in December 2024. The approved payout is $131,097.69. Deol will work through June 20, according to the severance agreement.
The Polk County medical examiner position has been a revolving door in recent years. Longtime examiner Dr. Greg Schmunk was let go in 2020 after 17 years on the job and cited a "political turf war" as the reason.
Dr. Josh Akers was hired to replace Schmunk but left in 2022, and his replacement, Dr. Joseph Blitman, worked in the role from October 2023 until Deol took over. The Polk County Board of Supervisors approved Blitman's severance in January 2025, .
The board on Tuesday also finalized an agreement to transfer some county responsibilities to the State Medical Examiner's Office to cut costs. Supervisor Angela Connolly argues the cost of each autopsy done by the state will go up by $5,000 from Polk County's cost and won't save the county money.
Local experts have previously spoken out against the idea.
"It's not going to be the best for your families or our families in Polk County. I am saying that from first-hand experience," John Jacobson, a metro funeral home director, told the board last month.
The supervisors voted 3-2 to approve moving forward with the 28E agreement. Connelly and Supervisor Tom Hockensmith voted no.
The agreement now goes to the state for further review.
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