Out of the ordinary ...
Coroner's race seldom draws attention - until now

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette

Thursday, Nov. 2, 2006, 5 p.m. -- The office of coroner in most communities isn't one of the most visible ones in county government. Incumbent coroners often run without opposition, and the race -- at least in Nelson County -- has rarely required much active campaigning.

With this year, that's changing. People are taking notice of the race.

GOP coroner candidate Danielle Chladek is creating quite a stir in her bid for that office -- and a great many people have taken notice and are supporting her campaign effort, and even coining an impromptu slogan: "VOTE THE GIRL."

MORTICIAN AS CORONER. Since 1996, the Nelson County Coroner has been Joseph "Sonny" Greenwell, a funeral home owner and mortician. Greenwell was frequently elected without opposition. His "heir apparent" successor is his deputy coroner Field Houghlin. Houghlin and Greenwell are business partners and share ownership of a number of other funeral homes.

In many Kentucky counties, the county coroner is also mortician. And as pointed out during Houghlin's visit to "The Brooks & Ken Show," the coroner/morticians usually base their work from their funeral homes.

County coroners and their deputies are paid a monthly fee based on their county's population. County governments also pay the coroners for transporting bodies and other services provided by the coroner's office.

IS FAIRNESS AN ISSUE? The big question about a mortician serving as coroner usually centers around fairness. Does the coroner-mortician's business have an unfair advantage over funeral homes that are not connected with the county coroner's office?

If you ask Houghlin's competitors, you'll find that nearly all of them will agree that serving as coroner gives him and his business an unfair advantage. Houghlin and Greenwell own several funeral homes in the area, so that connection could give an advantage to not just one of their businesses, but several.

When asked about it on "The Brooks & Ken Show," Houghlin denied that serving as coroner (or deputy coroner) was a business advantage.

Houghlin said that being a mortician coroner saved the county taxpayers money, saying there were plenty of costs related to being coroner that he did not get paid for.

SUPPORT FOR THE CHALLENGER. Houghlin, who appeared to be a shoe-in for the office after his easy primary win, found himself playing catch-up in recent weeks.

Houghlin, who showed no interest in appearing for a free spot on the "Brooks & Ken Show," called in the day his opponent visited the studio to request a spot on the show.

Chladek, who ran for the office four years ago, has built an impressive base of support for her campaign. She's touted her forensics training and background in law enforcement as valuable skills to bring to the coroner's office.

She has the backing of a long list of first responders and emergency services personnel, as well as other funeral home directors.

If campaign signs are any judge of voter sentiment, the momentum appears to be with Chladek. Her signs are visible all over the county. As election day nears, Houghlin has been adding to his complement of campaign signs, which are larger in size but fewer in number.

The voters will make their decision on Tuesday. Regardless of the outcome, there's no denying that this is the first coroner's race in recent years that's been a race worth watching.

And Chladek supporters will be watching elections returns to find out just how many Nelson County residents decide to "VOTE THE GIRL."