Additional tax money for an already budgeted extravagant animal shelter?
Submitted by Carson Now Reader on Sat, 06/13/2015 - 5:42pm
Event Date:
June 18, 2015 (All day) Additional tax money for an already extravagant animal shelter?
On June 18th lobbyists will petition the Carson City Board of Supervisors to increase the 1/8 cent sales tax bond by over one half million ($600,000) to fund an extravagant $500 per square ft. animal shelter. This is an increase from an already budgeted $3.9 million to $4,500,000.
Because proponents are unwilling to expose their motives that push this outlandish increase, it is somewhat difficult to understand their logic without drawing and analyzing many inferences from the facts that have been gleaned from a variety of other sources.
Two of these facts are that a large increase in the number of kennels and a veterinary unit is being requested by the proponents. This demand is over one half million beyond the original plan previously approved.
Are these additional budget requests based upon projected Carson City population increases, improved quality standards, or that proponents and City officials envision a regional shelter to care for animals from other areas? A plan to increased efficiency and effectiveness has not been put forward.
The current population of Carson City is about 56,000. If there were a population increase to about 80,000, the growth rate would be 44% . The current animal shelter population hovers around 15 with a total shelter capacity of 36. A population growth of 44% would translate to about seven additional animals. In that the average shelter population is now around 15 and with a 44% growth rate the facility would then be populated by 22 animals.
One may ask “do we need to expand the shelter greater than the original plan?” Based upon the above analysis, we do not! There is plenty of land area for remodeling to make conditions more comfortable for the animals. Apparently when this facility was built in the 60's it was built for the future.
Further, there has been no study to provide a credible analysis recommending a new animal shelter, let alone a $6000,000 increase. On the contrary, the 2010 evaluation by the Humane Society of the United States did not recommend the construction of a new shelter.
It appears that there is more to this demand for a budget increase than meets the eye.
If a regional shelter has not been the vision, then why do they propose 58 kennels, far in excess of the average shelter population now and for the future?
Without justification by proponents and city officials, we can only infer and make assumptions that lead to the following questions.
• Why are proponents and city officials advocating an in-house medical unit? Does the facility under the new budget (not the proposed budget increase) require a medical unit? If not, what is the difference; and, if so, why is there a difference?
• No national or international standards have been publically discussed regarding the medical unit issue, yet proponents and city officials have been publically asked, “what standard would support this demand?” No answers!
• Why have proponents and city officials not voluntarily issued information to the media to open and shed light on their demands or provide a forum for public discussion? Likewise, why have they not responded to questions about their demands? Would allowing time for public discussion before the controlled supervisors meeting expose unwanted facts and truths?
It appears that not only does Carson City not need 58 new animal kennels nor a medical unit, it also appears that we do not need a new animal shelter.
The Board of Supervisors meeting is scheduled for June 18th. The agenda schedules the animal shelter question after lunch. As a responsible citizen, you may want to attend this meeting and, perhaps, stand up an speak your piece and ask some questions about this important issue.
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