Animal Shelter Budget Raises Some Eyebrows
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Dividing a limited amount of county funds between services for animals and people created concern at the county council's budget hearing Thursday.
The council tentatively approved a 1997 budget of $136,938 for the county's animal shelter, an increase of almost $7,000 over the 1996 budget.
Council members had no objections to how the shelter spends its money, but expressed concern that the county allocates more for the animal shelter than for human services.
"We spend more on animal care than on our own senior citizens," said councilman Harold Jones.
So far in the 1997 budget sessions, combined requests from Home Health Care, the youth shelter, the Council on Aging and the Beaman Home total $125,000, almost $12,000 less than the budget for the animal shelter.
The problem, according to shelter director Kay Amsden, is that the need for animal control in the county is accelerating.
"We take care of anything that pertains to animals, including wild animals," she said.
To help offset the costs, Amsden said she will work out a volunteer program for future help at the animal shelter.
Amsden's request for a full-time kennel technician was preliminarily turned down by the council, and other departments requested permission for new positions as well.
Because of the increase in the number of criminal cases prosecuted, the prosecutor's office requested a third deputy prosecutor, paralegal assistance and a receptionist. The total request for new positions was $95,237, but the positions were not approved because they had not been cleared through the county's personnel director.
Kosciusko Circuit Court Judge Rex Reed requested an additional secretary for the circuit and superior courts. He said the increase in cases and in paperwork has been tremendous," and is more pressing than the need for a second bailiff.
The council delayed a decision on the new secretary until the September budget meetings.
County Court James Jarrette, who will become judge of Superior Court II in 1997, told the council he would not request funding this year to create a security position for the Justice Building, but it will be an issue in the future.
Citing disruptive court proceedings and a recent altercation in a courtroom, Jarrette said, "It's getting to the point where we probably need some show of force in the courtroom."
The courthouse is one place where people should know they can have their disputes settled peacefully, without having to worry about physical violence, he said. "If we can't protect the courthouse, then it's pretty sad."
Jarrette also was charged with presenting the budget for the new court, Superior 3, and said that budget was tentative because the start-up costs are not known.
The new court's budget was tentatively approved at approximately $117,000.
Salaries for county employees were the last subject to be considered by the council, and were increased 4 percent for officeholders, both appointed and elected, and 3 percent for full-time employees, both salaried and hourly.
All part-time hourly employees will be paid the same as last year; all four judges will receive $5,000, the most the county can pay since the judges receive the bulk of their salaries from the state.
The council's final budget sessions are scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 3 and Sept. 10. [[In-content Ad]]
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Dividing a limited amount of county funds between services for animals and people created concern at the county council's budget hearing Thursday.
The council tentatively approved a 1997 budget of $136,938 for the county's animal shelter, an increase of almost $7,000 over the 1996 budget.
Council members had no objections to how the shelter spends its money, but expressed concern that the county allocates more for the animal shelter than for human services.
"We spend more on animal care than on our own senior citizens," said councilman Harold Jones.
So far in the 1997 budget sessions, combined requests from Home Health Care, the youth shelter, the Council on Aging and the Beaman Home total $125,000, almost $12,000 less than the budget for the animal shelter.
The problem, according to shelter director Kay Amsden, is that the need for animal control in the county is accelerating.
"We take care of anything that pertains to animals, including wild animals," she said.
To help offset the costs, Amsden said she will work out a volunteer program for future help at the animal shelter.
Amsden's request for a full-time kennel technician was preliminarily turned down by the council, and other departments requested permission for new positions as well.
Because of the increase in the number of criminal cases prosecuted, the prosecutor's office requested a third deputy prosecutor, paralegal assistance and a receptionist. The total request for new positions was $95,237, but the positions were not approved because they had not been cleared through the county's personnel director.
Kosciusko Circuit Court Judge Rex Reed requested an additional secretary for the circuit and superior courts. He said the increase in cases and in paperwork has been tremendous," and is more pressing than the need for a second bailiff.
The council delayed a decision on the new secretary until the September budget meetings.
County Court James Jarrette, who will become judge of Superior Court II in 1997, told the council he would not request funding this year to create a security position for the Justice Building, but it will be an issue in the future.
Citing disruptive court proceedings and a recent altercation in a courtroom, Jarrette said, "It's getting to the point where we probably need some show of force in the courtroom."
The courthouse is one place where people should know they can have their disputes settled peacefully, without having to worry about physical violence, he said. "If we can't protect the courthouse, then it's pretty sad."
Jarrette also was charged with presenting the budget for the new court, Superior 3, and said that budget was tentative because the start-up costs are not known.
The new court's budget was tentatively approved at approximately $117,000.
Salaries for county employees were the last subject to be considered by the council, and were increased 4 percent for officeholders, both appointed and elected, and 3 percent for full-time employees, both salaried and hourly.
All part-time hourly employees will be paid the same as last year; all four judges will receive $5,000, the most the county can pay since the judges receive the bulk of their salaries from the state.
The council's final budget sessions are scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 3 and Sept. 10. [[In-content Ad]]