Home Page: Ordinances
|
Resolution 45 - 09
RESOLUTION TO INCREASE DOG LICENSE FEES
WHEREAS, Wisconsin Statute § 174.05(1) requires & ... the owner of a dog more than 5 months of age on January 1 of any year, or 5 months of age within the license year, shall annually, or on or before the date the dog becomes 5 months of age, pay the dog license tax and obtain a license & and
WHEREAS, current revenues are not keeping up with expenditures for quarantines due to dog bites, dog damage claims and dog impound costs; and
WHEREAS, Wisconsin Statute § 174.09(2) states that "Any surplus in excess of $1,000 which may remain from the dog license taxes of any license year shall on March 1 of the succeeding year be paid by the county treasurer to the county humane society or other organization designated by the county board to provide a pound"; and
WHEREAS, the County Clerk, Sheriff, Public Health Officer and Humane Association Director met with the County Towns Association on July 28th in the Town of Cooks Valley and the members present recognized the need to enforce dog regulations and increase dog-licensing to cover the necessary costs-associated with animal control; and
WHEREAS, Wisconsin Statute § 174.05(3) states that "The governing body of any county may by a majority vote of the members present at any regular meeting raise the minimum dog license tax on dogs within its jurisdiction ... If the governing body of any county ... increases the minimum tax, it shall provide that the tax for unneutered male dogs and unspayed female dogs is greater than the tax for neutered male dogs and spayed female dogs. The additional tax may not exceed the total cost of all dog licensing, regulating and impounding activities for the previous year ... "
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Chippewa County Board of Supervisors does hereby approve the dog license fees as follows:
Current Fee New Fee Due County Local Treasurer Altered $5.00 $8.00 $7.75 $.25
Unaltered $10.00 $13.00 $12.75 $.25
Multi Dog $45.00 $60.00 $59.75 $.25 (Up to 12)
Additional Tags $4.00 $7.00 $7.00
STATEMENT OF EXPLANATION
RESOLUTION TO INCREASE DOG LICENSE FEES
Chippewa County has had a rash of injured and lost dogs. A good number of dog bites/attacks as well as dog damage to domestic animals have occurred this year. This has been a problem for Law Enforcement, Public Health, Local Governments, the Humane Association and the County Clerk. Representatives from theses affected entities have been working together to try and remedy the situation. There are a number of things that can be done such as: dog owner responsibility, educating local governments on dog listing and enforcement and increasing fees to dog owners for the operation of the Humane Association. Most all of the animals end up at the Chippewa County Humane Association CCRA). There are only 3 municipalities that pay the CCRA over and above the County portion of the dog license fees. The Humane Association is currently operating at a loss of over $14,000. The Humane Association's current budget is $177,000; dog related expenses account for approximately $106,415 of the annual budget. Last year the' CCHA received approximately $30,000 from the County Dog Fund. The rest of their revenue is raised through fund raising. Increasing the fees is the easy part. The difficult part is dealing with owners who have not taken responsibility for their animals and the veterinarians who have not gotten paid. The Sheriff, Public Health, Local Governments, the County Clerk and the Humane Association will continue to work together to come up with solutions to this costly and time consuming animal control problem. All dogs in the County must be vaccinated and then licensed so that they are on record. ONLY dog owners license their dogs, they pay a fee to the County and/or the local government for dog related expenses. Spayed or neutered (altered) animals pay less than unaltered, ".
CERTIFICATE OF ADOPTION
State of Wisconsin) )ss. Office of County Clerk County of Chippewa) I, Kathleen M. Bernier, the County Clerk of Chippewa County, Wisconsin, do certify that the attached resolution/ordinance was adoptd by the Chippewa County Board of Supervisors
on Nov 10, 2009
Kathleen M. Bernier Chippewa County Clerk