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December 20, 2011 in City
City Council OKs two-year contract with SpokAnimal
Deal follows voters’ rejection of regional animal control shelter
Animal control officer David Walker lifts an Italian greyhound named Angelica out of its kennel at SpokAnimal on Monday. Angelica was recently adopted after being brought in as a stray.
(Full-size photo)
Voter rejection of new taxes last month to pay for a regional animal control system sent Spokane city leaders back to their old standby.
The City Council voted unanimously Monday to approve a two-year contract to pay the nonprofit SpokAnimal C.A.R.E. about $753,000 a year to continue handling animal control services within city limits. The contract amount is an increase of about 3.4 percent from what the city is paying this year. SpokAnimal will continue to return a portion of dog and cat license fees to the city – about $200,000 each year.
Most council members, Mayor Mary Verner and Mayor-elect David Condon supported the proposed county tax to build a new countywide animal shelter that would have allowed the city to join a regional system and end its relationship with SpokAnimal. Officials at SpokAnimal had informed the city a few years ago that it no longer wanted the contract but later changed their mind and campaigned against the countywide shelter proposal.
City Councilman Steve Corker, like most council members, said that without the ability to join the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Agency, a contract with SpokAnimal is the city’s only choice. About 56 percent of voters rejected the tax plan, which would have cost 5.8 cents per $1,000 of assessed value for a maximum of nine years
“I still think that a countywide approach is the best option,” Corker said. “But I don’t think the voters are prepared to pass any bond in this economy.”
Councilwoman Nancy McLaughlin said she likes that the contract allows each party to end it with a year’s notice because it gives the incoming Condon a chance to help determine the future of animal control.
When the county offered a long-term deal to join the county’s animal control system in preparation for the ballot proposal, SpokAnimal offered its own.
Gail Mackie, executive director of SpokAnimal, said SpokAnimal’s board accepts the shorter deal but will work to have a 10-year deal in place when the new two-year contract expires.
“We’re really glad to have this contract finished prior to the end of the year,” she said.
City Councilman Bob Apple, who opposed the county tax proposal, said the city should have worked toward having a 10-year deal in place starting next year.
“That’s what the people directed when they turned down the SCRAPS (county) proposal,” Apple said.
MAC faces angry crowd 
ChefGus/ John Olsen on December 20 at 5:33 a.m.
The tax that failed is $5.80 cents a year on a $100,000 house and folks voted it down… and how many have unlicensed animals that live in these homes? john
voice_of_reason on December 20 at 10:17 a.m.
It isn’t the fact that one tax or levy is only “5.80 cents a year … ” … it’s the fact that when something is needed the first thing government leaders do is ask the public for money via taxes, levies, etc. That “5.80” becomes $5,080 or more because our leaders can’t seem to find the correct balance between proper and efficient spending and proper funding. When our leaders can get rid of waste, inefficient spending, inefficient staff, ridiculous contracts, etc. then they can ask for more public funding. Until then, every single tax or levy request should be turned down, no matter what it is for. Make government accountable.
ChefGus/ John Olsen on December 20 at 12:43 p.m.
I think that “the voice of reason’ is anything but …. if we want services and animal control etc we have to pay for them… simple…