By Mike Sever
Record-Courier staff writer
Portage County commissioners have agreed to fund at least the base pay for a county humane officer.
Commissioners Chris Smeiles and Maureen Frederick agreed to allocate $29,120 for 2009 during a meeting Tuesday with Portage Animal Protective League Board President Karen Carmany and Secretary Cheryl Casper.
Commissioners paid $14,500 to the humane officer in 2008.
Commissioners left it up to the PAPL board to accept the $29,120 offer, which would keep the humane officer position operating under the PAPL. Without a humane officer, animal abuse and neglect investigations would be left to local law enforcement.
Last fall, the nonprofit cut back on the humane officer's hours because of high expenses and a drop in donations. Then the PAPL said it could no longer afford to subsidize the humane officer's job beyond Dec. 31 without help from the county or other governments. The PAPL reversed that decision in early December while hoping to come to a funding agreement with commissioners.
Carmany said that with overtime, the humane officer's costs are about $40,000 a year. Frederick said she was leaning to funding the full cost if money was available.
The $29,120 base pay works out to about $14 an hour, about the same hourly rate as a deputy dog warden.
Other costs, such as use of a van and office space, are covered by the PAPL. The nonprofit also has been paying for the food and treatment of animals seized by the humane officer.
Carmany also asked if the county could cover some supply costs for the humane officer, such as a police vest, bite sticks and other equipment needed to handle animals. Commissioners agreed to ask their legal counsel if the county could legally buy or provide money for equipment.
The PAPL was hit by thousands of dollars in veterinarian costs associated with several big abuse cases last year, particularly a Brimfield case involving some two dozen horses. On top of that, Carmany said donations had fallen off as a result of the declining economy.
"We were looking at our donation base just drying up. We had no money coming in, and we were looking at dire financial news" Carmany said of the PAPL's situation last fall.
"We were looking at ways to keep the doors open and not looking at the mission" of the organization, she said Tuesday. "We decided we just can't, in good conscience," shut down the humane officer function. "Portage County needs it; the animals deserve it."
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E-mail:
msever@recordpub.com
Phone: 330 298-1125