FAYETTEVILLE -- The Washington County animal shelter can run at full capacity through the end of the year with the Quorum Court's final approval Monday of a $20,000 transfer to the facility.
The Quorum Court's members voted 10-4 for the proposal during a special meeting that swung into a larger debate about whether the county even should have its shelter, which accepted, housed and gave medical attention to more than 2,000 dogs and cats last year. Republicans Harvey Bowman, Sharon Lloyd, Tom Lundstrum and Joe Patterson voted against; the 15th seat remains vacant with a governor appointment pending.
Monday's vote finally settles a controversy that has dogged the county's government for almost two months. Shelter director Angela Ledgerwood first approached the legislative body in July to ask for about $36,000 for cleaning and medical supplies and other needs, saying the shelter would have to turn away animals without the money. The shelter's annual budget at the time was about $616,000, compared to an overall county budget of around $59 million.
The Quorum Court has granted most of that request since then, but in pieces: first $10,500 in July, then the $20,000 chunk Monday, which came from a fund in Circuit Clerk Kyle Sylvester's budget after he offered to help. Donations made up the rest of the original request.
A consistent core of justices of the peace has remained opposed to the money throughout the process, saying the buck has to stop somewhere.
"Give me a break," said Harvey Bowman, a Springdale Republican and opponent to the proposals. "Does anyone understand the financial concerns in our budget?"
The county spends more than it takes in revenue, Bowman has said repeatedly. Millions of dollars in budget cuts last year haven't been enough to settle the account, and more cuts could come in the budget process for next year. He challenged the 40 or so shelter supporters in the audience to join him in donating $1,000 to the Washington County Animal League, a nonprofit group that supports the shelter.
The room was largely against him, with many justices saying stray animals, with their potential impact on people and livestock, are a public health issue.
"I don't think it's appropriate to try to run government on donations," said Sue Madison, a Fayetteville Democrat. "We need to pass this tonight so we don't go back to the old days, and people are shooting dogs and cats out in the county."
The county built the shelter for $2.2 million, double the initial estimate, and opened it in 2012 after Fayetteville said it could no longer take on the county's strays. Some justices' opposition has been constant throughout its short life because of its costs.
"There doesn't seem to be any end to the amount of money we're willing to spend on this," Lundstrum said.
Bowman said out of all the Arkansas counties with at least 20,000 residents, only Washington and Baxter counties have a shelter, according to the Association of Arkansas Counties. Baxter and other counties are more willing to euthanize animals and rely on private groups, Bowman said.
Several county residents in the audience told the Quorum Court they wanted nothing of the kind.
"The Washington County animal shelter is so needed," said Sara Bartlett, whose family raises chickens and horses in the county and who called the opposition "inexcusable." She said she takes care of a constant stream of strays that can often be returned to their owners, unless the owners dumped the animals to begin with. "People don't understand what we go through in a rural area."
NW News on 09/01/2015