DAPHNE, Ala.—The Daphne City Council amended the new fiscal year budget to add $3,000 for the cost of sending any body from the city of Daphne to the Alabama forensics laboratory—located on the University of South Alabama Medical Center—for a requested autopsy.

There will be one fee to cover the transportation of the body to the lab and another for the autopsy should one be requested, Sgt. Brian Gulsby said.

“Most times we will not transport over there unless there is to be an autopsy,” he said.

Councilman August Palumbo brought the issue to the council’s attention at Monday’s meeting, and he said the $3,000 total comes from an average of sending 10 bodies to the lab per year, and each body would cost around $300.

“It’s been a service that they haven’t charged us for, but now we’ve got to start paying it,” Councilwoman Cathy Barnette said.

“They’ve had some budget cuts over the last few years, and this is one of them,” Gulsby said.

The next city council meeting will take place Jan. 3, 2011 at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall.