Voice of the Mid-Columbia | Kennewick, Pasco and Richland, Wash. |
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closeTuesday, Jul. 07, 2009
Property tax hike would help pay for Benton County animal control
By Joe Chapman, Herald staff writer
Some have called for several years now for Benton County to step up and provide comprehensive animal control.
In November, voters will get the chance to say how bad they want it.
That's when voters will be asked to increase property taxes to build and operate an animal control facility to launch animal control services in rural areas of the county.
Benton County commissioners voted 3-0 on Monday to put the proposition on the ballot. If passed, it would increase property taxes by 14 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, or $14 a year for a $100,000 home.
Five cents of that would fund construction of a $1 million facility over 10 years. The other nine cents would pay for maintaining and operating the facility, estimated at about $200,000 annually.
"We do need to do something about animal control in the county," Commissioner Leo Bowman said after the board's meeting. The obstacle has been there's no revenue within the county's existing budget that could be redirected to animal control, he said.
"So how do you fund it? This is the way it would be funded, through the will of the people trying to generate enough property tax to fund it," Bowman said.
The county previously explored partnering with West Richland to build and operate an animal control facility. In May, the commissioners received a presentation on what such a facility might entail and cost.
Two concepts were presented, one for a facility costing about $750,000 and another for a larger facility costing $1.5 million.
Commissioner Max Benitz Jr. said the county has put on hold the option of partnering with West Richland until it gets an answer from voters.
"If the voters say no, then there's no point in us putting a lot of effort and energy into it," Benitz said. "But if they say yes, then we know what the parameters are that we can work underneath."
Bowman and Commissioner Jim Beaver said the West Richland option had promise, but agreed asking voters to provide the funding is a necessary first step.
If the proposition passes, the county wouldn't be limited to just spending the $1 million authorized by voters, Beaver said. The county would design an appropriate facility and commit additional capital money to it as needed, he said.
"Then (the voters) have answered the question to what I think is, 'Yes, it's a priority for us. We voted yes to institute this tax.' And now it's our job to make it come together," Beaver said.
-- Joe Chapman: 582-1512; jchapman@tricityherald.com
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