MERIDIAN, Idaho — Meridian City Council has approved a 3% increase in funding for animal control and welfare services provided by the Idaho Humane Society, a move city leaders say will help maintain service levels as the city continues to grow.
The agreement, approved Tuesday, will provide more than $771,000 for animal welfare and enforcement services during the next fiscal year.
The approval comes ahead of the city's broader budget discussions later this month, when council members will also consider whether to increase property taxes. Under Idaho law, cities can raise property taxes by up to 3% annually and may also have the option to implement forgone tax authority.
WATCH: Meridian increases funding for animal control services ahead of budget talks
Councilmember John Overton said the contract has helped create a coordinated animal services system throughout Ada County.
"What we've seen happen over the past 10 years has been a terrific result of having a comprehensive contract that covers all the cities," Overton said.
The Idaho Humane Society provides a wide range of services for Meridian, including responding to animal welfare complaints, investigating animal cruelty cases, handling nuisance concerns, assisting with stray animals and livestock, and responding to emergencies such as animal attacks and dogs left in hot vehicles.
According to Idaho Humane Society CEO Jeff Rosenthal, humane officers are specially equipped to address animal welfare concerns throughout the community.
"The officers are deputized by the Ada County Sheriff's Department as special purpose deputies, and so when we encounter neglect and cruelty, we can just immediately act," Rosenthal said.
One of the organization's most common services is reuniting lost pets with their owners. The Idaho Humane Society says it returns an average of about 250 pets to their families each year.
"A stray dog can run across this entire county in one day," Rosenthal said. "Just in the last few weeks with all this wind, we've had so many stray animals come in. And so I think it's so important having one single shelter to go to to look for your pet versus the other alternative."
The Idaho Humane Society says its overall budget is increasing by 2.3% because of rising operational and personnel expenses. However, cities throughout Ada County that contract for humane officer services will see a 3% increase in costs to help keep pace with those expenses.
Overton said the increase was reasonable given current economic conditions.
"If ever there was a time that we needed a low increase, this is it. So for a 3%, yeah, absolutely," he said.
Meridian leaders are expected to continue discussing city finances in the coming weeks as budget planning moves forward. The city's annual State of the City address is scheduled for Wednesday and will focus on Meridian's growth, development, and future priorities.
