Fate of Monroe County animal shelter uncertain after county commission votes against its support

MONROE COUNTY, Tennessee (WATE) – The fate of Monroe County’s only animal shelter is uncertain after county commissioners voted against a plan to help a local nonprofit build a new shelter.

The current shelter is old and deteriorating, so the Monroe County Animal Friends, which partners with the county animal shelter, created a plan to build and manage a new animal shelter. They just needed the county to cover half of the running costs.

According to the MCFA, the county currently funds two-thirds of the shelter’s operating costs, paying staff salaries, rent and utilities. MCFA contributes a third of the costs of the current shelter, by financing food, medicine and medical treatment for the animals. Additionally, the local nonprofit group recruits and coordinates all of the shelter‘s essential daily volunteer efforts; and obtained more than $ 150,000 in grants to pay for necessary repairs to the shelter.

Under the new proposal, MCFA would build and manage a new animal shelter for the county. MCFA would cover all additional costs for the new shelter and would hire a shelter manager and a team of staff. The county would agree to contract with MCFA for an amount essentially equal to what it is currently spending (adjusted for inflation). This public-private arrangement would, according to MCFA’s best estimates, result in a 50-50 split of direct operating costs.

At the county committee meeting on June 22, the resolution failed in a 5-5 split vote. Now the focus is on next steps if the current shelter does not survive.

Monroe County Animal Friends President Jim Barrett said he was shocked the plan was not passed.

“We have been working on a deal with the county for three years and were optimistic the county would vote to do the right thing and move forward with the new shelter. We made a very generous offer to the county, ”Barrett said.

Barrett fought a long, hard fight, but now says it may be up to the public to keep the shelter running and save the animals.

“I don’t know where we’re going from here. There is not much more our organization can do. The only way the county can see its way forward is for people to let them know that they want a safe haven in this county, ”Barrett said.

Monroe County Mayor Mitch Ingram sent the following statement to WATE 6 On Your Side:

“While the vote is tied, we are encouraged by the willingness to continue discussions, our goal is to come up with a solution that all parties and especially our taxpayers are comfortable with providing the best possible animal services. “

Mitch Ingram, Mayor of Monroe County