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County shelter asks Thornton for 137% hike in IGA fees as intakes and costs surge
Summary
Riverdale Animal Shelter staff told Thornton council the county wants to change its cost-recovery model, a move that would raise Thornton's 2027 billing from roughly $147,242 to $349,668 (about 137%). Shelter leaders cited higher intake, medical needs, and regulatory requirements and outlined mitigation steps; council asked for more data and said the request will move through the 2027 budget process.
Riverdale Animal Shelter representatives told the Thornton City Council on July 6 that a proposed change in the shelter's municipal intergovernmental agreement (IGA) assessment would sharply raise what Thornton pays for animal-control impounds and related services.
Stephanie Wilde, director of the Adams County-operated Riverdale Animal Shelter, said the county is proposing a new three-year-average billing model that would change Thornton's 2027 charge from about $147,242 to $349,668, describing the increase as roughly 137% from the current target. Wilde said the shelter's intake and days-in-shelter have climbed since 2018 and surged after pandemic-era trends, driving higher staff, veterinary and facility costs.
"Why are we asking for a fee increase?" Wilde asked the council, and then outlined drivers including steady increases in owner surrenders, more medically needy and behaviorally challenged animals, state-required spay-and-neuter and enrichment requirements, and higher veterinary and security costs. "We did over 4,000 adoptions last year and the majority of those animals needed spay/neuter surgeries," she said, adding that shelter days hit more than 141,000 last year.
County staff and shelter leadership described the new assessment as a 3-year intake average tied to animal-control impounds, with credits for adoption revenue, restitution and reclaim fees. Alicia Reese, a county representative, said the county reduced an earlier cost-recovery target and removed some overhead costs after municipal feedback, and that the county would share credits to cap the combined partner contributions at 20% of the shelter budget.
Council members pressed staff on operational resilience during mass surrenders, revenue prospects and whether other municipalities had agreed to the new IGA. "If only one city has agreed thus far, what's to say others won't?" asked Councilmember Evan, noting tight municipal budgets. County staff said one smaller partner (Bennett) had adopted the new arrangement and that the county planned phased adjustments and programmatic revenue efforts to lessen future shocks.
Wilde and county staff also described mitigation work: nearly 300 volunteers providing the equivalent of roughly 17 full-time employees, more foster placements, fee adjustments to the public in 2025 that raised revenue about 19%, new online giving, grant fundraising and a planned community foundation to expand philanthropic support.
City Manager Tanzi Hayward told the council staff would include the county's materials in the city's budget process and return with additional data. "This is in the 2027 budget request," Hayward said. Councilmembers indicated they wanted more detailed backup (historical cost-sharing, precise line-item impacts and phased options) before committing and several asked for a tour of the shelter.
Next steps: staff will circulate the county's full historical data and bring the IGA item into the city's 2027 budget process for council review; no formal change to Thornton's IGA or appropriation was adopted on July 6.
