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Council votes down funding request |
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Wednesday, February 04 2009 |
Denial means Humane Society will stop taking animals from the county
By TJ HEMLINGER
Staff Writer
The Whitley County Humane Society, faced with a budget crunch, will stop taking in animals from outside the city limits of Columbia City, South Whitley and Churubusco after the County Council declined to increase the county’s contribution to the society’s annual budget.
In 2008 the county pledged $10,000 toward the society’s annual budget of $133,604 after the society had asked for $36,000. This year the society has reduced the budget to $105,312. It supplied the council with statistics that show the townships have 64 percent of the county’s population and 62 percent of the animals taken in.
The council, faced with a severe budget crunch, voted 7-2 against funding the society’s request. The society had asked that the $10,000 budgeted be used to cover the first three months of the year and that the council increase the appropriation to $36,000.
Bruce Stach, one of the society’s board members, told the council that the number of animals it was taking in from the county was “steadily increasing” while the cost-per-animal was steadily decreasing because of increased efficiency, a change in the organization and support from the Community Foundation, which has taken responsibility for bookkeeping, freeing volunteers to handle other tasks.
“We have reduced the number of hours we are open,” Stach said. “If the county can’t fund the $36,000, we will have to reduce services. We take in 63 percent of the animals from the county and get a little more than 10 percent of our budget (from it).
“The board made the decision to accept no animals from the county” if the budget request was denied, Stach told the council.
The $10,000 contribution from the county was paid in two installments after the county received its property tax draw. Auditor Linda Gerig told the council the county’s assessed valuation is down 17 percent from last year due to the property tax caps.
Councilman Jim Bayman said, “We have budgeted $10,000. We will keep that in the budget.”
Veterinarian Colleen Quinn said, “We are non-profit. We are relying on donations.”
It costs $80 to adopt a cat, including a $35 deposit to have it spayed or neutered, and $100 for a dog, with a $45 deposit for the same.
To drop off stray costs $15. It’s $50 if the person dropping off the animal is the owner, and it’s $35 for a litter.
The motion to increase the budget contribution by budgeting the $10,000 for the first three months failed 7-2, with councilmen Glen LaRue and Bill Overdeer voting for it.
E-mail staff writer TJ Hemlinger at
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Last Updated ( Thursday, February 05 2009 )
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