Channel 17/39: Boone County Residents Will Get to Vote on a New Animal Shelter

Note the $700,000 is for a new building on Route 76 and $500,000 is to repair and upgrade the old building.

08/18/2014 10:19 PM

The Boone County Board held a special meeting to decide whether or not to put the Boone County Animal Shelter on a referendum. A new shelter would cost more that 700,000 dollars to repair. County board members say they can’t afford that, so they the help of Stateliners.
Boone County Board Chairman Bob Walberg says “If we put the money into a building we will be taking away from other departments. It’s very important that we get the support of the community and ask them if they really want to make this kind of expenditure.”
County Board Member Marion Thornberry would rather see the county take out a loan to build a new shelter. He says new upgrades that the shelter would have, would make paying off the loan easier. He does not think putting it on a referendum would be a good idea. 
Thornberry says "The only reason they want it on a referendum is because when people see the word taxes, they automatically say no.”  
But Chairman Walberg is confident the voters will pass the referendum in November. Officials would like to see the shelter built on Route 76. They also say the tax increase would be minimal.

How last minute is Boone County’s referendum proposal

Well here is a memo to Mr. Terrinoni from June in which the deadline is discussed. Note today is the very last day.

What is the county board’s referendum proposal?

Well unless you are in the”in group” you don’t know much. Below is the resolution which was sent to board members at 10AM on Monday, August 18. (This is all I know about the referendum proposal)

The figure $800,000 is  interesting in as much as the Health and Human Services Committee was recommending building a structure for only $713,000.  Where is the building going to built? The old site or on Route 76 or somewhere else? Are there any preliminary plans for an $800,000 building?

Oh yes—what about the $5.00 increase in dog tags that went into effect in January 2014 for the expressed purpose of improving the animal service building.  That is nearly $40,000 PER YEAR and how will that be used?

BILL PYSSON, Health & Human Services Committee, Boone County Board (Not a member of the “in group”)