GREENFIELD — Hundreds of dogs and cats are housed each year inside the cramped shelter at Greenfield-Hancock County Animal Management. While the animals come from all ends of the county, the funding doesn’t. Now, county and city officials say each municipality needs to pay their “fair share.”
Last week, during Hancock County Council budget talks, John Jessup, president of the Hancock County Board of Commissioners, proposed cutting half of the county’s contribution to the animal control department for 2020. He said the county’s incorporated towns — Fortville, McCordsville, New Palestine, Wilkinson, Cumberland, Shirley and Spring Lake — should make up the difference in cost.
“It’s time for the county to stop footing the bill for municipalities that receive the service,” he said. “Everybody has budget constraints.”
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]
Click here to purchase photos from this galleryHancock County has historically funded 60% of the department’s expenses, while Greenfield pays 40% and operates the shelter. The county paid the city $383,857 for 2018 expenses, and the city contributed $255,905, according to financial documents from Greenfield Clerk-Treasurer Lori Elmore.
Jessup said the county funding 30% of the department’s operations– about $195,000 — is more in line with the amount of income tax revenue the county receives as well as the percentage of assessed value the unincorporated portions of the county contribute to the entire county. He said it’s much wiser for the county to reallocate animal control dollars to health insurance and building maintenance funds.
“In the spirit of keeping a balanced budget and not hurting the taxpayer, we had to find a way to tighten our belts, and that was one place that we felt like we could make a change that is consistent with the services we receive and solved a very difficult budget crisis,” Jessup said.
Greenfield Mayor Chuck Fewell said he agrees that other towns should help fund animal management. He said that’s a topic city officials have mulled about for years, especially as towns keep growing.
“I’m a big believer in fair share,” Fewell said. “I pay my fair share, and the county should pay their fair share. And I agree, the other entities should pay their fair share. If the others want to make up that 30% that we’re losing, I would entertain that in a heartbeat and try to work out an agreement.”
In May, animal management made 191 runs: 88 in Greenfield; 74 in unincorporated Hancock County; 16 in Fortville; five in McCordsville; three in New Palestine; two in Wilkinson; two in Shirley; one in Cumberland; and zero in Spring Lake.
Local governments are also in “budget season,” Fewell said, so most departments have already calculated their 2020 proposals. Fewell doesn’t think any local municipality is in a place to pay in to the department for next year. He thinks it’s a better for interested towns to budget for it in 2021.
McCordsville Town Manager Tonya Galbraith said the commissioners haven’t approached town officials about the idea. Jan Jarson, town councilwoman in New Palestine, said she’s also unaware of the proposition, adding that it’s too late for the town to put in those costs into their 2020 budget proposal.
Fewell said if the county decides to cut animal management funding in 2020 and towns cannot contribute, then he might consider the city operating animal management apart from the county unless the county agrees to retool the funding split based on the percentage of runs. In 2017, the department made 685 runs in the city and 702 in the county, according to director Amanda Dehoney.
“At the 50% that they cut, we will not be able to supply the services that would be needed in the manner that we’re doing right now,” Fewell said.
Greenfield officials also plan to construct a new animal control building — paid for without the assistance of the county — on a piece of land west of Franklin Street and just south of the Hancock County 911 Center near Tague Street. The city purchased the land from Covance for $465,114. The city will split the land between animal management and the city’s street department.
The current shelter, comprised of three mismatched trailers near the Greenfield Wastewater Treatment Plant and Park Cemetery at 809 S. State St., can only hold so many animals, Dehoney said. According to Daily Reporter archives, the city has operated a shelter at the location since the 1960s or 1970s.
A new building could offer separate and proper spaces for stray animals as well as a quarantine area, Dehoney said. Fewell said the size of the building also depends on the future of animal management.
“I would hope that the county would see fit to want to be a participant with our operation,” Fewell said. “It’s going to be a state-of-the-art, but not a Taj Mahal.”
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Pull Quote” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
“At the 50% that they cut, we will not be able to supply the services that would be needed in the manner that we’re doing right now.”
–Mayor Chuck Fewell, on county’s threat to pull part of its funding for animal management
[sc:pullout-text-end]
