Council authorizes new Collin County ILA for animal shelter services and renews animal control agreement

The Prosper Town Council voted unanimously to authorize the town manager to execute a new interlocal agreement (ILA) with Collin County for animal shelter services and to approve Amendment No. 19 to its county animal control agreement.

Robin Battle, the town staff lead, told the council the proposed shelter ILA would establish a five‑year initial term followed by one‑year renewals, and a two‑part cost structure: a base operations fee with a 3.5% annual escalation and a separate maintenance and capital contribution split among participating entities by population. "Prosper's percentage of population for all of the entities is right about 5.8%," Battle said, and staff estimated Prosper's portion of the initial FY25–26 shelter costs at about $116,702.

Battle said the proposed ILA preserves the same core services the county provides—receiving and caring for stray and impounded animals, rabies testing and vaccination, and reunification efforts—and that Collin County encouraged all participating cities to sign the revised agreement. Staff noted that if Prosper chose not to adopt the new ILA, Collin County had indicated it would not renew Prosper's existing agreement when it expires in 2028.

Separately, the council approved Amendment No. 19 to the animal control ILA (annual renewal) for a FY25–26 town share of approximately $171,374. Battle told the council that, while staff recommends renewing Amendment No. 19 this year, the town had previously directed staff to explore alternative service models that might reduce long‑term costs.

Both measures passed on unanimous votes. Councilmembers who spoke emphasized the limited options available if the town does not sign the ILA and asked staff to continue exploring cost‑saving alternatives and service models.

Next steps: the town manager will execute both agreements and staff will report back on options for longer‑term animal services delivery.