Davis County budget hearing reviews animal-care workload, new shelter financing and staffing needs

Michelle Hicks, the new director of Davis County Animal Care, told the Budget Committee that the county’s animal-care workload and some revenue streams have increased in 2025 while key costs and the operating model for a planned new shelter remain uncertain.

Hicks said field and shelter services are the division’s main units and that the department has already recorded more than 4,000 calls in 2025, a level that appears likely to exceed 2024. She said the department recently moved from Chameleon to Animals First software, which provides more precise reporting and may affect year-to-year comparisons.

“The quickest way that I have found that get stray animals or animals that don't belong in a shelter … is having those animals microchipped,” Hicks said, describing microchipping and licensing as priorities to reduce shelter intakes and speed reunifications.

Why it matters: Commissioners focused on how the department will cover operating costs for a new, larger facility planned to begin construction in April 2026, and how funds from a recent tax increase are being used. The committee questioned whether county capital funds should pay construction costs while ongoing operations are funded separately, and how leases, donor gifts and existing revenue sources fit into that model.

Key details…