My wife and I recently bought take-out lunch from one of Fairmont’s restaurants. The cost for two people was $23 and change. Out of curiosity, I checked the menus of some of the city’s other restaurants to see what certain food items cost. Here’s some of what I found:
One Caesar salad typically costs $13 or more. Add chicken and it’s $16.
A burger combo meal for one with a side order of nuggets is $15.
One large pizza can run from $15 to $17.
Now consider that for $17 a year – not quite a buck and a half a month – our taxes would have helped to support the Humane Society of Marion County, which had requested the minimal increase through a proposed levy placed on the May 14 primary election ballot.
Let me say that again. My wife and I would have seen our taxes increased by $16.97 a year to save the lives of the hundreds of unwanted, discarded, lost or abused animals that find their way to the county’s no-kill animal shelter every year. The three-year levy would have raised approximately $1.5 million to help pay for the staffing and maintenance of the shelter and the care of the animals it houses.
I say “would have” because unfortunately, the levy failed to achieve the 60% “yes” vote needed for passage. It lost by 237 votes.
So now I’m trying to understand why a levy of this nature failed, especially considering the good it would have done at such a minimal cost to taxpayers. For one thing, I suspect that the average citizens who voted against the levy – or the 68% of county voters who didn’t even bother to cast a ballot – don’t know much about the Humane Society or why it is so important for this community. I doubt that they know about the discarded, abandoned and abused animals that are reported in this county on an almost weekly basis, the number of which is somewhat frightening and extremely sad.
Consider this: In our area in just one week this month, the Humane Society took in a male dog that was found running loose, with his head in a plastic cone so small it was slicing into his neck. The dog was rescued by a Good Samaritan and referred to a veterinarian for ongoing treatment that will cost well into the hundreds of dollars. Meanwhile, Pet Helpers – the county’s other rescue organization – collected a small terrier that was dumped alone in a remote area to fend for itself, and another female dog with a broken leg and a dislocated pelvis that was found in the woods tied to a tree. Two surgeries on this animal will likely cost thousands of dollars, which must be paid by generous donor volunteers.
(For the record, Pet Helpers was not included in the proposed levy, but their rescue efforts alongside the Humane Society help to illustrate the magnitude of the pet problem in Marion County.)
Maybe, had they known about these animals, a few more voters would have colored in the “yes” circle on their ballots.
Or how about this? The Humane Society houses upwards of 30-some dogs at any given time and as many as 70-75 cats that have been surrendered by their owners or rounded up by Animal Control. These animals have to be fed, housed and exercised every day, and many times require costly treatment by a veterinarian. The Humane Society recently moved into a new building with more space to house all of these animals, but fund-raisers and donations are insufficient to pay down the debt on the building and still cover the cost of additional staff and supplies to care for the animals.
That’s why the levy was proposed.
I, for one, had no idea that the levy would be voted down. It seemed like a good idea to me, and my wife and I votes “yes.” We were somewhat stunned to discover the following morning that it had failed. I have since discovered that even though it failed to pass in the primary, the levy may well be brought back and placed on the ballot for the November general election. “That was always the plan,” a volunteer told me, “just in case it didn’t pass the primary.”
Between now and November, the Humane Society will need to get approval from the County Commission to place the levy on the general election ballot, but that is not expected to be a problem. Then, it will be up to the Humane Society and its supporters to spread the word that the benefits of the levy far outweigh its costs. The typical homeowner in Marion County would be taxed an additional 1.2 cents per $100 (or $14.40 a year) on the assessed value of owner-occupied property, plus a couple of additional dollars for his or her vehicles. The tax would be even less if the homeowner qualifies for the Homestead Tax Exemption.
Taxpayers who own businesses, vehicles, rental property or vacant lands would pay a little more depending on how many businesses or vehicles they own. Still, the rate is only 2.4 cents per $100 of assessed valuation per year.
Bottom line: We need this levy in Marion County to help manage the abandoned and abused pet population. The Humane Society is a no-kill shelter and sometimes all of its cages are filled. The organization conducts a number of fund-raisers and solicits donations to help cover its costs, but that’s not nearly enough.
My wife and I are frequent donors but we’re not able to provide large sums of money. It will take all of us in Marion County to pitch in to help by voting for the levy next fall. The cost would be minimal for any single taxpayer, but the combined income would be significant. To pay the additional taxes, I suggest that everybody skip just one Caesar salad or $23 lunch next year and use the money to support the Humane Society instead.
The discarded animals of Marion County would thank you for it if they could.
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