An initiative to pay for animal control services out of tourism tax dollars passed its first hurdle Tuesday morning.
Okaloosa County Public Safety Director Patrick Maddox presented the proposal, which the committee approved 4-1, to send the $600,000 a year idea to the Okaloosa County Commission for final approval.
Maddox said the funds will address challenges faced after Panhandle Animal Welfare Society decided to end its contract with the county in April. The partnership had become increasingly expensive and unmanageable for the county.
“[PAWS’] opinion was they were losing money on the county contract,” Maddox said. “So no matter what dollar we threw at them, if it was 15 years’ worth of mismanagement that they were attempting to make those dollars up for, there’s no way we can cure that with a single contract.”
After the PAWS contract expires in September, Okaloosa County wants to adopt the Animal Control “Light” model, which Maddox said is “the least budget-impactful option.”
“The Animal Control Light model is statutorily required calls only … so we don’t bleed salary and benefits on that,” he said. “… It’s simply a way to get more bodies out there and not have to pay into the coffers too much more.”
Required calls include hoarding, neglect and abuse cases, etc. The $600k request, in addition to the $950k already budgeted by the county for the program, would allow it to reach that Animal Control Light status, Maddox said. This would include hiring an Animal Control Manager, Animal Control Coordinator and Animal Control Officers.
Vice Chairman Jeff Fanto expressed concern that Maddox’s request may not be an efficient use of surtax funds.
“This is one of those things where, in my mind, just because we can do it, I’m not sure we should do it out of this pot of money,” Fanto said. “… you don’t know what’s going to happen in November either, but I just hate to think that we would commit to this, get you started and then all of a sudden, oh boy, November hit, and we’re really hurting, and we come back to the well again.”
Maddox addressed this concern.
“This version right now of Animal Control Light, which the board voted to enact, that is going to happen whether or not we take those dollars from the general fund,” Maddox said. “In which case, it may actually result in people going home at some point in November — or we’re able to take it from this pot of money [surtax], which would not result in that same scenario if Animal Control Light is enacted, and this would get us at least to that … so I don’t envision coming back for a great [funding] ask if there are some minor lifts here and there.”
For a full list of projects addressed by the Surtax Committee, visit the Okaloosa County website. The committee will meet again on October 13 in Shalimar.
