News
Cemetery Board Does Not Repeal Saturday Burial Surcharge
Published
3 years agoon
By
Aaron Palmer
The Johnson County Cemetery District Board met Tuesday afternoon and one major topic of discussion was the $400 surcharge for burials on Saturday, which they did not repeal.
The board, in late 2021, implemented the surcharge to help cover the cost to pay employees overtime and cover other costs associated with burials on Saturday.
There has been some push back from community members who feel the surcharge is heartless, especially with how they were informed of the surcharge.
Board member Craig Wetterlund spoke against the charge for that reason.
Similar comments from the public on ZOOM and from texting into the meeting were received, asking that the surcharge be repealed.
Some comments were in favor of the charge, but wanted changes to how it was presented to grieving families.
During discussions by the board, it was suggested they not make a rash decision and to take more public comment in the matter to make a better decision in the future as to whether or not to retain the surcharge.
No action was taken by the board.
Mark Steingass
January 13, 2022 at 9:35 am
except in hardship cases…
Mark Steingass
January 13, 2022 at 12:09 pm
sensitive question…for instances like this sometimes it’s best to ask GOOGLE for advice…my question was…Are Saturday burials more expensive?…and here is what GOOGLE described on that subject…Are Saturday funerals more expensive?…You’ll pay to open and close the grave, and the cost will vary depending on the time and day. A burial between 9 am and 3 pm on weekdays is the cheapest. Burial after 3 pm could cost twice as much, and a weekend funeral could cost three times the weekday morning rate….so it seems to me it is important what other communities are charging…except in hardship cases the $400.00 Saturday burial fee may be reasonable…except in family hardship cases most people bequeath to the living at least 400 bucks to “cover their own butt”…lol