Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Animal Control topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Animal control budget steady; council asks about online payments as pet license revenue falls
Summary
Animal control staff said the 2026 budget is largely unchanged but projected lower pet‑license revenue; councilors asked whether pet licenses and ordinance fines can be paid online and discussed low collection rates for license violations.
City staff presented the animal control budget and answered council questions about pet license revenue and enforcement.
Finance and animal control staff said the animal control operating budget for 2026 remains largely the same as 2025 but that pet license revenue was reduced in the projection from $700 to $200 because of low uptake. “I think Karen can tell you that there’s not very many pets in Richmond licensed,” a finance staff member said.
Councilors asked whether ordinance fines and pet licenses can be paid online. Animal control staff said the ticket and license workflow is being modernized and that the ticketing system can create digital copies of citations that flow to the clerk’s office, but that the clerk’s office would need to enable online payment and processing. Staff said they have added additional points of sale within the city to purchase pet licenses beyond the city building.
Councilors also noted that collection on pet‑ordinance violations is limited. Animal control staff said they attempt to collect fines when possible but do not collect large amounts and that improvements to online payment systems could help collections.
No budget changes were adopted at the presentation.
