Proposed Legislation

License Fees

purpose:

fund all animal control and shelter/pound budgets, fund free or lowered cost spay/neuter and rabies, add animal control personnel and compensation and training, identify the population of companion animal owners
   
now: license fees capped $10 since early 1980s; compliance from near 0 to 15%
   
  pounds/shelters and animal control funded from general fund; spay/neuter and rabies paid by individuals or charities when done at all
   
  inadequate animal control/pound staff
   
changes: shift burden to companion animal owner from property tax payer
   
  ensure compliance with rabies, spay/neuter by collecting funds to pay for both from license fees
   
  provide adequate animal control/pound staff and incentives to recruit and retain good people
  1. license fee cap of $35 for dog and cats; additional dogs or cats $2.00 each; free first year and thereafter at jurisdictions’ discretion to anyone claiming they are unable to pay; reduce higher fees if surplus generated; revisit after 7 years; rescues and shelters exempted
  1. kennel licenses available only to hunt groups and breeders; breeders must sell a license to anyone purchasing
  1. licenses to be sold at pet stores, pet food stores, vets, places selling hunting/fishing licenses, supermarkets, rescues, pounds and animal control; remit with sales tax or quarterly; seller retains 5% of license fee as commission
  1. reminder with property tax bill, car decals, license/registration; also mail-in form
  1. funds collected earmarked for activities listed above
  1. when license fee compliance reaches level sufficient to replace general fund funding, displace general fund as source; until then, use license funds for spay/neuter first, rabies next, animal control and pound staffing/recruiting/retention thereafter
  1. when all jurisdictions adopt higher cap, raise fee to $40/$20, 85% to be retained in jurisdiction, 15% for “poorer counties” fund
  1. animal control officers enforce compliance after 90 days; spot checks in yards and parks, in plain sight, etc; flat penalty of $150 (also earmarked as above) or 10 hours community service assisting at pound/shelter for first violation, $300 or 20 hours thereafter
  1. zero tolerance; General District court to hear license cases immediately on traffic court days; only proof is the license; failure to produce is admission of guilt

 

December 19, 2004