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County examines contract fee model as towns could balk at higher flat rates
Summary
Commissioners and staff debated whether to raise the $2,500 annual fee charged to towns for animal-control coverage or instead bill for services, with staff warning that higher fixed fees may prompt some towns to withdraw from the program.
The commission reviewed how the county charges participating municipalities for animal-control coverage and whether that model can support a move to full-time staffing.
Staff noted the county currently invoices towns roughly $2,500 annually for service and estimated that with 15 towns that historically produces about $42,000. One presenter said towns "don't like paying a set fee and not knowing whether they're going to get that back at the end of the day," and added, "I hate putting 2500 down and maybe the ACO never shows up in your town at all." That concern shaped discussion of alternatives: raising the flat fee, charging for calls/services directly, or structuring guaranteed service levels as part of a revised contract.
Staff warned that raising a flat fee to cover full-time staffing could cause towns to drop the service, and commissioners discussed trade-offs between predictable revenue and towns' ability to justify the expense to local taxpayers. The discussion concluded with staff asked to outline revenue options and how each would affect town participation and the draft budget.
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