LONGVIEW, TX (KLTV) -
After
a second meeting of a newly formed task force, time is now a factor in trying
to come up with an alternative way to deal with the problem of stray animals in
one East Texas city.
Operation Save the Animals, the City of Longview's task
force, is dealing with a time sensitive issue: The Humane Society of Northeast
Texas will stop taking animals within two years.
"Over
the next two years they'll phase out of collecting our animals, that we've got
to come up with a long term plan," says Longview Mayor Jay Dean.
"I
think we have to build a completely new facility," says task force board
member Doctor Ken Glaze.
But
a new shelter could mean a bond issue, tax dollars and require staff.
"There's
no question that a new facility is needed. If it comes down that the city's
going to build a facility that's going to go before the voters because its
probably going to include some form of tax increase to pay for it and let the
voters decide," Dean says.
They
have 90 days to come up with an answer. Another years contract with the
shelter, comes with a 23 percent rate hike. A payment of over $200,000.
"Its
costing us 200,000 a year right now by ourselves and you've still
got people upset on both sides of this issue. Right now there's five or six cities
in Gregg County alone that are using that shelter," Dean says.
September
2014 the shelter will stop taking animals, and no one wants a kill shelter.
"If
we have to go the voters of Longview we want to make sure its something that
makes sense to them," Dean says.
The
task force has roughly until December to make its recommendations.
The shelter
is currently running above capacity.
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