§ 676. Employment of stenographer. When the services of a stenographer shall not have been provided by the board of supervisors, or if a stenographer so provided is not available, the coroner, coroner's physician or medical examiner shall have power to employ a stenographer for the purpose of taking statements and reducing to writing the testimony of witnesses or of transcribing or reproducing any report or document required by his investigation. If the board of supervisors has not fixed any rate of compensation, such stenographer shall be paid for taking and transcribing minutes at the rate charged by official court stenographers in the county.