Friday, February 09, 2007

45) Budget sets amount of dog license fee

click to enlarge
click to enlarge
Animal Control Activity 2007-2008 as reported
by newly elected Sheriff George Braidwood's staff
George said he wanted to operate Animal Control within the law. Well, that was before he was elected, you know how that goes. This is insufficient data to determine what it costs to administer the dog law of 1919. I don't think our new sheriff is much concerned about that. He doesn't realize he could improve the animal control operation, simply by operating within the law. Oh well................

Please keep in mind the Animal Control budget is to cover the expenses of administering ALL animal related laws, and the Animal control Shelter receives just as many cats into the shelter as dogs.


MCL 287.266 Dog licenses; application; resolution; provisions; proof of vaccination.
Sec. 6. (5) ……….(f) …………..When applying for a license, the owner shall pay the license fee provided for in the county budget.
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The county board of commissioners may set license fees in the county budget at a level sufficient to pay all the county's expenses of administering this act as it pertains to dogs.

In most counties that means the dog licenses cover about 60% of the Animal Control expenses. If you looked at the county budget you have seen that Shiawassee County Animal Control is now operating at a profit and has been for several years, since they raised the license fees.

This is the FOIA I sent:

"I don't know who would have this, but I do know there are reports prepared on the number of citations issued by county deputies. What I am looking for is a report that shows the number of complaints filed with animal control and the number by reason. Such as, number of dog bites, number of loose dogs, number stray pickups,,,,,,,etc whatever would be called in to the animal control, number citations issued and for what. That sort of thing. "

So, under the Freedom of Information Act, as amended, I am requesting a copy of such a report for the year 2006.

And this is the information I received:

User:CMYOUNG Shiawassee County Animal Control 02/06/2007
Summons/Citations Charge Summary
Agency: SHIAWASSEE CO ANIMAL CONTROL, Date Range:

Charges, Count

ALLOWING DOG TO RUN AT LARGE , 39

BARKING DOG, 2

DESTROYES PERSONAL PROPERTY, 1

DOG AT LARGE, 3

DOG LICENSE REQUIRED, 61

POULTRY ATLARGE, 1

UNLICENSED DOG, 84

Total: 192


Then there is a second report:


User: CYOUNG SHIAWASSEE CO E-911 02/06/2007
Number of Events by Nature


Nature, # Events

ACCIDENT WITH INJURY, 1
AMBULANCE CALL, 3
ANIMAL BITE, 40
ANIMAL COMPLAINT, 525
ASSIST PUBLIC OR OTHER, 4
BARKING DOG, 5
HAZARD, 1
INVESTIGATE VEHICLE, 1
MOTORIST ASSIST, 2
OTHER TYPE, 2
TRANSPORT PRISONER, 1
TRESPASS COMPLAINT, 1
TROUBLE WITH SUBJECT, 1

TOTAL, 587

I REALLY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THESE TWO REPORTS.

How can the county board of commissioners possibly determine what part of the Shiawassee County Animal Control activities involves administering this act as it pertains to dogs? This act being The Dog Law of 1919.

They certainly cannot. They cannot account for what it costs them to administer the Dog Law of 1919. They don’t even come close. So they set the license fee high enough to exceed the entire cost of the Shiawassee County Animal Control department.

Shiawassee County residents, being good little lambs don’t even kick up a fuss. They just pay it. That really blows my mind. But, if nobody minds, I’m suggesting they double the license fee and also add a license for cats at the same rate. That could kick the Animal Control revenue up to $300,000 and more. Nice little chunk of change for the General Fund.

Friday, February 02, 2007

44) Shiawassee Twps Cities Villages

There are 5 cities in Shiawassee County: Corunna, Durand, Laingsburg, Owosso and Perry with a total population of about 26,000. Four of those have websites with dog ordinances quite similar to those of the city of Owosso. Perry’s ordinance does mention dog licenses. Most claim MCL 287.290 as their authority to adopt such an ordinance.
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There are 6 Villages In Shiawassee County: Bancroft, Byron, Lennon (partially), Morrice, New Lothrup, and Vernon with a total population of about 4000. I don’t know if they have a dog ordinance or not. The three who have websites do not have a dog ordinance on it.

So far I have only identified one township with a website and has a dog ordinance on it. I believe they also claim MCL 287.290 as their authority to adopt such an ordinance.
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MCL 287.290 Municipal animal control ordinances; ......... [M.S.A. 12.541 ] Sec. 30. A city, village or township by action of its governing body may adopt an animal control ordinance to regulate the licensing, payment of claims and providing for the enforcement thereof....
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Does not grant the authority to adopt ordinances such as these municipalities have adopted.
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The Shiawassee County Animal Control does not go into any of these municipalities. Their own police take care of any complaints. Or so I have been told by central dispatch.
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That is right around 34,000 people in a county with a population of around 72,000, roughly 47% of the population of Shiawassee County that is not being covered by the Shiawassee Animal Control department. Yet, all the money collected for dog licenses goes into the county general fund with 2007 animal control estimated revenues of $158,000, expenses $153,000.

My my my…………that is interesting.

How much do you suppose it costs the county to administer the Dog Law of 1919 in this township and these cities and villages? $5 per dog? $10? $20? $30

I just don’t see it costing the county much at all. If a person buys a dog license from a veterinarian, the county pays the vet $3.00 per license. So, I guess the county could claim that those licenses cost them $3.

You can also mail in for your license, then the county wouldn’t have to pay that $3.

The county also has to buy the license from the state. That can’t be much. $1.00 per license? The book the licenses are recorded in, I think is provided.

Doesn’t amount to much, does it? The Dog Law of 1919 and the Shiawassee County Animal Control Ordinance both allow the county to set the license fee at a level sufficient to cover the cost of administering the Dog Law of 1919.

I think they are way overcharging for dog licenses already, But this township, city and village thing is just way beyond even my idea of an overcharge! It is more like fraud. I think if I lived in this township, or a city or village I just wouldn’t buy a dog license.
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That would cost the county nothing.
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According to Central Dispatch the Shiawassee Animal Control officer does not go into Cities and villages, unless specifically requested to do so.
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Red highlighted have a "dog ordinance".
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WiKipedia Demographics WEBSITE/Municode

Cities
Corunna City of Corunna Corunna
Durand City of Durand Durand