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Animal shelter funding again causes debate in committee |
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Wednesday, 07 May 2008 |
The possibility of funding a county animal shelter started heated debate Tuesday night at a committee meeting of the Saline County Quorum Court.
The item was discussed during the Finance and Personnel Committee meeting at the courthouse in Downtown Benton.
The Quorum Court has held many discussions about funding a possible animal shelter, and although most justices of the peace have publicly said they want a shelter, most question how to fund it.
In February, the finance committee had approved a start-up budget for the proposed shelter that would be located at the southwest corner of the jail on Neeley Street.
Later that month, JPs passed the first reading of an ordinance to appropriate $300,276 out of the county’s emergency fund to build the facility. But later in the same meeting, JP Doug Curtis of Benton questioned whether emergency funds could be used when there had not been a two-thirds vote for passage of an ordinance. Because of the question, an opinion was to be sought by the office of Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDanial.
Saline County Attorney Jonathan Greer told the Courier today that he had drafted an opinion request from McDaniel’s office, but he told the Quorum Court that in his opinion JPs could not restrict the removal of money from the emergency fund without a two-thirds vote.
“My opinion was that they could not restrict it,” Greer said. “I told them that state law governs a county law and then I guess it became a non-issue. I was never instructed by the Quorum Court to send the opinion and they didn’t have a majority vote. But that doesn’t mean that it couldn’t become an issue again. A JP could ask to seek the opinion of the state attorney general again.”
On Tuesday, several JPs questioned how they could fund an animal shelter. JP Tom Lish of Hot Springs Village suggested forming a fundraising campaign or taking donations. JP Sharon Riggan of Benton said fundraising efforts could be good for a start up to build the shelter, but she questioned how they would continue to fund the shelter for operation.
“Most people I talk to were for a shelter in the beginning, but when they found out funding would come out of the emergency fund, they were against it,” Riggan said. “I think this needs to go to the November ballot.”
Harold Loetscher of Alexander then told the Quorum Court that it seemed more concerned with funding other things such as a new parking lot in Downtown Benton than funding an animal shelter.
He also suggested that the members did not care enough about having a shelter.
Lish then called for a point of order to keep public discussions to the end of the meeting.
Riggan then asked if Greer could research putting the animal shelter on the November ballot as a sales tax, but JP Owen Bullock of Benton suggested sending it to the fire districts for vote in the county.
JP Buster Warrick of Benton said that the people in the county would not vote to put a tax on themselves to fund an animal shelter. Warrick also said that if the vote goes to the fire districts, he felt it would be unfair for people in the city, including himself, who wouldn’t have a vote.
It was also suggested that the fire districts consider having a volunteer tax, but Riggan asked how that would affect the operation of the facility.
“If you do get volunteer money to build it,” Riggan said, “you are still counting on a volunteer tax to run it.”
After a 20-minute discussion, JPs decided to table the discussion to the next Finance and Personnel Committee meeting. However, the animal shelter was brought up once again during public discussion when Loetscher asked the members if they had explored all their options for funding.
Curtis said, “When it first came to the finance committee, it wasn’t on the agenda first of all. Then all of a sudden it is laying on the table that night and it is sent to the full Quorum Court. At that time, I don’t think everything was explored. “Now all of a sudden, [Quorum Court members] were threatened, talked to like they were stupid and then all of sudden we are bringing it to the full Quorum Court. It is like it was being rushed.”
Ann Sanders, president of the Humane Society of Saline County, told the Quorum Court that the need for an animal shelter is a public safety issue that needs to be addressed.
“I am just going to ask you to consider, what is a child’s life worth?” Sanders asked. “I think that is what we need to go back to thinking about. The children [in the county] that are being bitten and attacked have no options ... the people have nowhere to take those [stray animals] to...it is a public safety issue ... there are options to fund this that are not being addressed.”
After much discussion the Quorum Court motioned to adjourn.
The full Quorum Court will meet at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 23, in courtroom 1 of the courthouse.
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