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MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH March 25, 2004 Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by Anne Miles Cassell 4 March 25, 2004 fertile dogs and cats. Animal Control proposes to raise those taxes to $10.00 for sterile and $30.00 for fertile dogs and cats. A survey of select counties with “licensing” programs reveals sterile-fertile tax differentials as follows: Durham $10.00 and $75.00; Raleigh $7.00 and $14.00; Forsyth $5.00 and $25.00; New Hanover $10.00 and $20.00; Gaston $7.00 and $7.00; Mecklenburg $10.00 and $30.00. Such an increase will accomplish several things. • It will further encourage owners of fertile dogs and cats to have them spayed or neutered. • It will more than double the pet tax revenue to about $220,000 . • It will facilitate the establishment of a dedicated spay/neuter fund to substantially reduce the numbers of fertile dogs/cats and their offspring in Orange County. • It will improve the ratio of tax program expenses to tax revenues. While shelter admissions reached a lower plateau and held steady for a few years it appears they may be starting to rise again. This can only be caused by an increase in the number of litters born. To really reduce the numbers of dogs/cats impounded and the corresponding number that must be destroyed each year, far more of our resident dogs and cats must be sterilized. Subsidized spay/neuter programs are the only customer friendly way to actually reach many of those who have not yet sterilized their pets. The tax increase and a dedicated Spay/Neuter fund will provide the means to encourage many of our citizens who have not yet done so to get their pets sterilized. The rewards will not only be a reduction in the numbers of animals destroyed each year in the animal shelter but also a reduction in both the capital and operating expenditures of the animal sheltering and control programs. Motion to approve the proposal to increase the pet tax and set aside 15% of these funds for a dedicated Spay/Neuter Fund to be included in the departments budget request was made by Kate Wilder, seconded by Alan Rimer, and carried without dissent. F. Animal Services Task Force Report Kate Wilder, the Board’s representative to the Animal Services Task Force, provided the Board with an update on the meetings the task force has held. Options under consideration include 1) continued contracting with APS, 2) create an “Animal Services Bureau”, 3) create a County Department / Division. At this point the Task Force is leaning toward option 2, the creation of an “Animal Services Bureau.” Board members stressed the connection to public health issues, such as West Nile Virus and rabies and voiced concern that a Board of Health member should serve on the Animal Services Board that would be created under this option.