Speaker 1, serving as chair of the Perry County Animal Welfare Control Board, said members found restricted building-maintenance money moved to pay shelter costs and expressed concern that the maintenance fund is nearly depleted.

Why it matters: Board members said the reallocation leaves the county vulnerable to building repairs and other maintenance needs. Speaker 3 told the group the board will have to rely on donations and partner organizations in the short term while pursuing a longer-term, legally permissible funding mechanism.

Board members focused on two near-term paths: (1) use a named fund if the state permits designating donated money for shelter purposes and (2) bolster fundraising via partners and community campaigns. Speaker 1 said the board contacted state counsel but learned attorneys would be unavailable until June 1; the state office may require that incoming funds be explicitly designated by the donor.

“We, with the calendar and donations, we took almost $3,000,” Speaker 1 said, citing a recent fundraising push. Speaker 3 added that the shelter has created a special line item and that donations can be routed through the shelter while the board seeks formal clarification from state authorities.

Board members also noted that moving shelter funding from the restricted maintenance account was a stopgap that could create future obligations: if building systems need repair, the account may lack the funds to address them. Speaker 3 described the situation as “borrowing Peter to pay Paul,” and the board discussed prioritizing a legally sanctioned mechanism for accepting and holding donated shelter funds.

The meeting ended with members agreeing to pursue state guidance and to lean on humane-society partners and local fundraising while the board’s formal funding authority is clarified.