Animal Control Commission backs shelter budget after debate over vet contract versus full-time hire

The Fairbanks North Star Borough Animal Control Commission voted 5-0 Nov. 17 to recommend the animal control division's FY2026 budget request to the borough, after an extended discussion weighing a contracted veterinary service against hiring a full-time borough veterinarian.

Commissioners heard staff present three main budget changes and asked for a recommendation to take to the Assembly. Animal control manager Sandra Hill and shelter staffer Kimberly explained the current veterinary contract and the operational limits of the shelter building.

The essential choice under debate was whether to extend and expand the current contract veterinarian’s workday or to move to a borough-employed, full-time veterinarian. Kimberly said the current contract amount is $242,870 and staff asked the commission to support a proposed contract package (including an additional clinic day) in the neighborhood of $330,000 so the contractor could provide four days a week of service plus a regular community spay/neuter day. "We had 50 owner surrenders in 5 days," Kimberly said, describing September's intake spike and added surgery demand.

Staff contrasted that with a full-time hire, which they priced differently. Kimberly described a full-time staffing price around $275,000 for salary and basic staffing costs, but noted additional equipment, facility and operating costs could drive a full-time program's annual cost to roughly $402,000. Those costs reflect capital-equipment needs (autoclave, oxygen machine, monitoring equipment), autoclave service/pack costs and increased facility electrical capacity required to support on-site surgery at scale.

Commissioners pressed for a clearer apples-to-apples comparison. Commissioner Sherman asked whether staff could break costs down to a per-day figure or otherwise parse the contract so comparisons with a full-time vet would be easier to evaluate; Sherman said community spay-and-neuter pricing and transparency would help the Assembly assess the budget request. Kimberly said the contract includes per-surgery rates, weekly rounds and surcharges when hours exceed a set threshold, and that the contractor currently provides and pays for equipment and certain assistant coverage.

Staff also described operational constraints at the shelter that make a full-time, five-day-a-week in-house veterinarian difficult right now. "Our electricity is maxed out in our building," Kimberly said, and the existing surgery and office spaces are not suited to the extra equipment and lab work a full-time position would require. Staff said they plan to put the vet contract out to bid next spring and asked the Commission to support the proposal increasing contractor days to expand public spay/neuter services.

After discussion about cost details, service levels and facility constraints, Commissioner Bethune moved that the Commission support the animal control division's budget request; Tom Swan seconded. The roll-call vote was 5-0 in favor.

The Commission's recommendation is advisory; staff noted that reallocating CIP funds or adding positions would require Assembly action and, in some cases, appropriating ordinances. Staff said they will pursue the bids and additional fiscal detail needed for the Assembly and will return with refined cost comparisons if requested.

What’s next: staff will prepare the RFP and cost breakdowns for the Assembly and, per the Commission’s guidance, explore clearer per-day or per-clinic cost comparisons to support the budget request.