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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0140.015 2000-2002 • oa~srioi oa:so t3aoa aer else i~scs evo ~oosiooa N nA~AII~lL~ANJD March 27, 2001 - To: Fioanoe Committee, Hawd'i Coumy Couao~7 prom. Chtis<hla Helilror CC#~¢Q.~er- President, Board ofDireaon `J Hawai'iIaLodHumaue3oc3ety - r• Re: Teatirnony am Comm. 140 In urging the 13awai'i County Council to adequately fund the Ftawai i Island Humane Society (L•iIEi3) for the cammg Sacal year, I can do no better flan to quote the roport prepared by the I,egialative Auditor a the County Counoil'a request. The Boatel Studv on The Statue of Aral Control in the Cowity of Hawaii estates: ':t sw+ley of ten hwaans sadsnes an the U.S mabdrlerd wtdr popwlarian (Y0,000-200,000 people) amparabls ro Hawa'r Coanry 000) is shown to Tabk 2. On average, these azouia and mamcip~alldss took M ha(jar marryanonaolr m 1998 (7,9J3) ar>ix H1HS m Han+m''i Covey (lJ,3l~). Adoption ralss, an ava+gge, xwe slightly higher, and program cusis per arrina~~a man tsJli?eg rra~cator dimrpapr/atiwr-wrcx higher. Ceognaplrically, tto sYr?ryed jarLxdctla+ was oonrpa?abls in slu of squrve miles ro Hawaii County (4, 028 sq. mi.). Acco?dingly, thsptcho+c lint arragrs srrgges7s than Reveal'! Cowry's a?rtmol atrrroi pmgmm is rrdn, f olded " (pg. 16) ID comparison with the other outer ialande, HIHS receives more eouaty tundiog, but "Hawed Y Conyy is the only awry taaln/arMitrg dlres sbshsrs to savior a land mass alma twits as big ar dre other three courtltes am66red Hawar'f Cowry aLa handles abnost twice as marry ardmaLs asMawi, lntt ~tsnt the !test an a spay-mtiea progrmn.'. (pg ore) `73awai'f Cowry s FY2000 appriopriation of 5667,2J0 for animal ar~n»l falls short of the x720.000 to 3864,000 nammsndatian using Save Orrr Strays gaeideline of SJ-36 per captoa !f we applied the svgglarted 2J96 of the Cowry's ~t towards a sptryareuaer pmgrrmr, at Masi 3166,000 rhoedd be span far stertlhatlan mrnad of tht 33J, 000 wrrr+ently spe?t~ (pg. 48) Ia apmding mote money on an6nal control a matte of "porting animals before people"? Hardly. Aa the Legislatively Auditor's report notes, "T7re caertr»l of anbnals to Saxm'r County is a furr/ron of public heald+ acrd spJ(ety " (p$• S) Comm, Na l ,~,~ws~ y File No. Baai/ Ref. To: Izaf. ~*a MAR 2 8 ~nm 74.5225 Quern Yaahumom~ Hwy • Kailm-Ran, H196744 • Tdcphonc (808) b29-1175 • Fax (808) 329-4618 Reaau (808) 966.5448 • Kamuda (808) 885-4658 oa~sriot oa:so Qeoe aer scan uses trvo ~ooaiooa Doe aUocxdng more money w q>sy/neuter bend~'it only pet-owners sod animd-lovers? No, becaufs "Otv ooaety s amsral eartrol tttrtss are di?m first mrl,J6nmose by cJirorric pst ompoprkaiae...Oar prblic. fisi~r~1~ ~+!"?~s~~y~~B~~~~ .)~~~}byekirsd nwuY CaW1t~tJ and esrascrpatrircs " 1, &7[eWhVC Summary) HIFIS clot fubfidize the ~mY cootttct again With 011r OWn all1d8 es we have hl t11e loft two 5scal years. As the I.egielatlve AUdltOt' f report slate!, the calsgory of sala?iss arsl bwse,/lts bm ba!loonad wldr the adrbNon of bssnrara o,~?eas and a rise to warfasrs oonrpanorion ltusaimrce acrd nrs~ao/ bsnsfra t')penatirrg sxpsnsssfor ,nehrinavy aos+e, antneal careR+d egrriprxent and ~xgs ars aZro orr the rtes. " (pg. 48) In sdditioq at the and of ]set 8eea1 year, we was ovatalron by huge inasafes in the price of fuel and in repay costs for our aging 9eet a~f tricks Rather than lay off employees and wt savicea mid-way through the year, we era spending 5115,000 of HIRS tlrnde to make up the shonall. The projected ehorage would havo been even huger if we had not IeR several staff positions unfillal ~ The Board of Directors of the Hawaii Island Aumane Society has a Secsl and legal _ reeponeibility to ensure that the orgsoiastion does not go banlgvpt We simply have to fund! ie@ to subsidize the contract in the corning Seal year. Our projected FY2l)D] expense total 5765,900, The admitdstration's proposed FY2002 budget agoeates 5723,000 for animal control. Obviously, this ie trot eaough. Tn order to fill vacant positions and operate en the blacJc, we have cormter proposed a budget of 5833,800 Tlfis 8gurc does not include arty increase in funds for spay/neuter We are encouraged that the Mayor and Finance Director have stated their commitment to working with ua to improve animal wmrol for our community. The Departmatt of Finance is Continuing to negotiate with our l3xecvtive Director on the FY2002 budget. We hope that the County Council will work with ue in the same spirit of cooperation . 2