Community Spay Neuter Report 01_2010

Browse Search

Orange County Animal Services 501 W. Franklin St, Suite 106, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 (919) 968 -2287 To: Donna Coffey, Budget Director, Orange County From: Bob Marotto, Director, Orange County Animal Services Date: April 10, 2007 Subject: Creating a Community Spay/Neuter Fund from Licensing Fee Increase In light of our very productive discussion of fee increases with the Animal Services Advisory Board (ASAB), staff is proposing that a portion of the increased license fee for intact animals be dedicated to promoting spaying and neutering in Orange County. More specifically, our proposal is that some or all of the $20 increase for the license fee for intact animals —which the ASAB recommended be increased from $10 to $30 —be placed in a dedicated and accruing fund that is separate from the Animal Service Department operating budget. It is estimated that between $40,000 and $50,000 will accrue from the proposed license fee increase for intact animals. This estimate is based upon the fact that in the last calendar year 2039 licenses were issued for intact animals in Orange County (inclusive of its towns) and for calendar year 2005 that number was 2447. Our estimate assumes that the level of compliance with the County's licensing requirement remains unchanged in future years (although it should be said that strategies are being developed to increase that level of compliance). With regard to financial support for this proposal, one option is to dedicate all funds from an increased license fee for intact animals to a fund available solely for the spaying and neutering of cats, dogs and other animal companions in Orange County. This option is supported by the ASAB, which at its March meeting unanimously voted in favor of the dedicated use of all such funds. Of course, another option is to dedicate a specific portion or percentage of funds, say, fifty (50).or seventy -five (75) percent of the sum total of funds due to the increase in the license fee for intact animals. While there is a definite need to dedicate all such funds in a progressive community spay /neuter effort, the latter option allows for the creation of a substantial fund in the event that it is determined that some increased income related to the license fee for intact animals must be used to offset operating costs. With regard to fund utilization, one option is to financially support the spaying and neutering of cats, dogs and other animal companions in Orange County, and to do so with regard to the demonstrated financial need of pet owners. This option is supported by the ASAB, which at its March meeting unanimously voted in favor of such fund usage, stressing the desirability of focusing their use on community members of limited means. Thus funds would be used to support low -cost spay and neuter programs, whether these were pursued solely by the Animal Services Department or in partnership with other organizations. Another option is to define the scope of use of these funds more broadly and flexibly under a fund heading such as Pet Overpopulation Management Fund. In this scenario, funds could and would be used to support low -cost spay and neuter programs, but the use of funds would not be limited to the costs of surgical procedures for spaying and neutering companion animals. Instead, funds could be used for the