The Virginia City Council voted down a motion to pay an outstanding invoice from Mesabi Humane Society and then approved a separate motion directing staff to seek alternatives to the current animal-control arrangement.

The council voted 4–3 against a motion to pay invoice number 6, dated June 14, 2025, which Mesabi Humane Society billed to the city. After that vote failed, the council approved, 5–2, a motion to direct city staff to pursue other options for meeting minimum animal-control duties under state law.

Why it matters: the contested invoice and the city’s contract talks with the Mesabi Humane Society have spotlighted funding, statutory obligations and how Virginia manages large animal-intake events such as the multi-cat hoarding incidents that generated most of the charges. Councilors said the total cost for humane-society services this year has already far exceeded budgeted amounts.

What the council heard and why it split: city staff and councilors said the Mesabi Humane Society charged a per-animal rate during an interim arrangement and that two hoarding properties created a surge in intakes. A city staff representative told the council the city must provide minimum holding and care for animals seized within the city and that the humane society charged the $600 per-animal rate for many of those intakes.

"The city is kinda stuck. We had to discharge our duty under state law, and the only provider that we had to discharge that duty with was charging us $600 per cat," a city staff member said during the discussion.

Councilors who opposed immediate payment said the board had not received sufficient documentation of the charges and raised concerns about paying significant amounts for veterinary procedures and kittens born in shelter custody. "I can't support paying them now because a week is not enough time for us to deal with this," Councilor Miriam Johnson said, criticizing the timeline the humane society requested for a response.

Councilor Buck Schneider moved approval of the invoice, saying he saw "no way around" paying the bill and asking staff to make payment by Oct. 20 if the county did not reimburse the city. That motion failed on a 4–3 vote. After the failed motion, Councilor Johnson moved — and the council approved 5–2 — a direction for staff to pursue internal and cooperative alternatives to provide the statutory minimum animal-control services.

Numbers mentioned: council staff reported the city has paid about $72,000 to Mesabi Humane Society this year; the outstanding invoice cited in the discussion was roughly $29,000, which city staff said would push total payments near $100,000 if paid. The council had budgeted $45,000 earlier in 2025 for humane-society services.

County property and reimbursement: councilors said the animals involved in the largest intake came from a county-owned, tax‑forfeited property that the county had not boarded to keep animals out. The city has submitted the invoice to Saint Louis County for reimbursement; councilors said a county response was pending and factored into their deliberations.

Next steps: after the Oct. 14 vote, the council directed staff to investigate alternate service models — such as a lower-level holding pound, cooperative agreements with neighboring jurisdictions, or other vendors — that satisfy the state's minimum requirements for impounded animals while costing less than the level of care Mesabi Humane Society provides under its current pricing structure. Councilors also requested detailed budget and expense records from Mesabi Humane Society for further negotiation.

The council noted potential legal risk if the city simply refuses payment and emphasized it would pursue county reimbursement and alternatives before taking any unilateral action that would jeopardize compliance with state law.

Ending: the dispute will return to council and staff work sessions as the city seeks a long-term contract or alternative to cover the statutory minimum animal-control duties while containing costs.