GREENFIELD — The city and Hancock County have come to an agreement for now regarding funding for their jointly managed animal management department, but that agreement may not hold past 2022.
The county has been trying for several years to cut its share of funding for Greenfield-Hancock County Animal Management, which was traditionally split 60% to 40% with the city. In 2019, the commissioners wanted to decrease their share from $383,857 to $195,000 in the 2020 budget year, but ended up spending $375,000. For the 2021 budget year, they again put forward more than they wanted to, $350,000.
In April of this year, the commissioners once again signaled their intention to cut their spending, and ended up increasing it.
Hancock County Commissioner John Jessup said the county has agreed to pay half of the costs for Animal Management in the coming year, totaling about $362,000. He added, however, that the county is still hoping to reduce the amount it spends on the department. Jessup said the commissioners’ concession to pay half the budget this year was premised on an agreement from the city to work out a reliable formula for future years.
“We need to quit kicking this around year to year and come to some kind of permanent arrangement,” Jessup said.
Mayor Chuck Fewell said he is glad to have come to an agreement with the county on how much will be paid in 2022.
The city remains fully responsible for paying for the cost of animal management’s new building, which will be built at 740 S. Franklin St. The project is costing about $4.2 million and is expected to be completed in February 2022. Animal management is temporarily located in a former veterinary clinic at 2195 W. U.S. 40. Greenfield is also paying for the rent on that building.
County officials have argued that the amount of work the department does in unincorporated areas of Hancock County is actually small, and that the smaller towns outside Greenfield should agree to pay a share of the costs. So far, towns haven’t done so.