SEK Humane Society asks Crawford County Commission to explore dedicated funding; commissioners outline lengthy sales-tax path

SEK Humane Society representatives told the Crawford County Commission on Sept. 12 that the shelter is operating near the limit of what it can sustain and asked the county to explore a shared funding model and possible tax-based support.

"We chose to approach the city of Pittsburg first," said Sabina Brackett, president of the SEK Humane Society board, describing a recent meeting with Pittsburg city staff in which a tax percentage or tax bracket was suggested as one funding path. "He just kind of explained to us to check with the County about a tax incentive of some sort to help out, partially help out."

The request followed a presentation in which SEK said roughly 99% of its intakes come from Crawford County (about 97% from Pittsburg), reported wages of about $260,000 in 2024 (up from $242,000 in 2023), and large fluctuations in donations tied to estate gifts and investment income. SEK said it has increased fundraising efforts—citing a growth from about a dozen fundraisers in 2018 to more than 40 planned events this year—and operates a resale shop, the Doggie Bag Resale Shop, that contributes revenue to the shelter.

Why it matters: county officials said shelter services provide medical care and longer-term housing that city animal-control facilities do not typically offer, and the loss of a nonprofit shelter would shift those needs onto county and city operations that lack the same medical and adoption capacity.

Commissioners cautioned that a sales-tax mechanism is a multi-step, multi-year process. "If it's a sales tax, that would be a voted item," Commissioner Jim said, adding that it could require special legislation and a voter referendum and noting limits on when special elections may be held. He described the timeline as "a year" and said success depends on how a proposal is worded and legislative receptivity.

SEK representatives said they are pursuing a "shared responsibility model" that would combine contributions from private donors, city, county and other partners. They also told commissioners the shelter is not planning to dissolve: the board said it would scale back operations (for example, operating with a very small animal census and one paid employee) rather than close if funding falls short.

On tax and regulatory matters, SEK said it pays state sales taxes and property taxes on a van and two donated lots; the shelter noted that Kansas state law historically has limited sales-tax exemptions for many nonprofits and that statutory fixes are being discussed at the state level but are not yet adopted.

SEK leadership asked the commission whether the county would pursue the sales-tax option or whether the organization should drive that effort. Commissioners said a proposal would need to start with the commission and that advocacy and lobbying likely would fall to the organization and its partners. "Frankly, that would fall on your guys' shoulders—the lobbying," one commissioner said; SEK volunteers said they would be prepared to assist with lobbying.

Asked about staffing and hours, SEK said staff provide care seven days a week and that private adoption appointments are used when public hours are limited. SEK also provided an internal accounting of average staff hours and noted high summer turnover in a college town environment.

The commission did not take formal action on a county funding commitment during the meeting; discussion items included next steps for research, donor engagement and whether to study a tax proposal for potential introduction in 2026.

Provenance: SEK presentation and Q&A began at 00:02:04 and continued through discussion of the Doggie Bag Resale Shop and staffing (topic introduction 00:02:04; last related remarks 00:29:15).