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Shelter funding still not resolved |
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Wednesday, 20 February 2008 |
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By Matt Burks
Courier Staff State Attorney General Dustin McDaniel will be asked to clarify whether a county emergency fund can be used to appropriate funding for an animal shelter.
This decision followed the Saline County Quorum Court’s passage Tuesday night of the first reading of a proposed ordinance appropriating funding for such a facility. The ordinance was approved by a 62 percent vote of the 13-member court.
Eight justices of the peace voted for the ordinance. JP Barbara Howell of the Lake Norrell area was absent because of illness and that absence automatically counts as a “no” vote.
Earlier this month the Quorum Court’s Finance Committee had approved a start-up budget for the proposed shelter that would be located at the southwest corner of the new jail on Neeley Street.
At the Tuesday meeting, justices of the peace passed the first reading of an ordinance to take $300,276 from the county’s emergency fund to build the facility.
Later in the meeting, JP Doug Curtis of Benton questioned whether emergency funds can be used when there has not been a two-thirds vote for passage of an ordinance.
“At the end of the meeting, Curtis said that there is an ordinance that prohibits the removal of money from the emergency fund without a two-thirds vote from the Quorum Court,” Joy Ballard, administrative assistant to Saline County Judge Lanny Fite, said today.
“The plan now is to ask for McDaniel’s opinion — to see if a state law will trump the county law.”
The need for a county animal shelter, several court members said, has been brought up numerous times in the past and they believe it will be ongoing until a solution is found. Animal advocates have urged the county to do something about the number of abandoned and neglected animals in the area.
Those in opposition to the ordinance said they don’t oppose having a county animal shelter, but they don’t agree with paying for the shelter out of the Saline County emergency fund. Buster Warrick of Benton said the county may regret using the emergency fund if a disaster occurs in Saline County.
“Other counties [in Arkansas] aren’t taking [funds] out of emergency funds,” Warrick said. “I am speaking out against this ordinance. I believe we are spending a lot of money, and if we use the money out of the emergency fund, we’ll wish we wouldn’t have.”
JP David Allinson of Bauxite also questioned the means of paying for the facility and suggested finding another way to get funding.
“I am dead against using the emergency fund,” Allinson said. “I am not against a shelter, but I question using this method of funding. When we set up the emergency fund, it was never mentioned to pay for a shelter. There has to be another way to pay for it. I think we are going in the wrong direction on trying to fund this. Is it a problem? Yes, but It is not an emergency.”
Those in favor of the ordinance said that because of the number of stray “wild” animals in the county, that a state of emergency is occurring. Many said that they have received many calls and e-mails showing support for the ordinance.
“I’ve never had so many calls on one issue before and I have been on the Quorum Court for a long time ... since 1995,” JP Owen Bullock of Benton said. “This is a problem, and I think it is an emergency. These dogs get into packs and threaten people in the county. People that live in the city already have this service, but not those in the county. If I lived in the county, I would want the same privilege the cities get.”
However, Curtis questioned what qualifies an emergency and also reminded other members of past times when the Quorum Court had very little, if any, funds for specific problems.
“First, we need to identify what is an emergency,” Curtis said. “I’ve been on the Quorum Court for a long time, and I’ve seen a lot of times when we didn’t have money for important things. I think there is a solution to this problem, but I don’t think taking money out of emergency funds is the answer.”
Several citizens also were allowed to speak at the meeting, with a few opposed, but several showing strong support.
Ann Sanders, president of the Humane Society of Saline County, suggested that the Quorum Court research ways that a shelter can gain revenue including receiving grants and selling of products such as tags for animals. Sanders also suggested that county prisoners could be used to care for the animals housed at the county shelter as a labor-saving cost measure.
Evy Goldman, volunteer office manager of the Humane Society animal shelter, said the animal problem should be considered an emergency because many people in the county often cannot step outside their homes because of fear of attacks from wild dogs.
Two persons who opposed the ordinance said numerous times that the county has other problems that need to be taken care of, including updating tornado sirens outside the cities of Benton and Bryant.
After much discussion, the vote was taken on the ordinance. JP Tom Lish of Hot Springs Village presented the motion to pass the ordinance with three separate readings.
Ballard said McDaniel will be contacted for his opinion on the matter in the next few days, but county officials do not expect an immediate response.
“This will all be done in writing with a letter sent to [McDaniel],” Ballard said. “It will probably be at least 30 days before we hear an opinion on the matter.” The court’s next scheduled meeting is March 18.
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