The Dukes County Commissioners have agreed to act as the lead agency in a coordinated stop-gap effort to provide animal shelter services on Martha's Vineyard after the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA) leaves Martha's Vineyard on May 1.
Working with volunteers, animal control officers, and town officials, the county plans to keep the Katherine M. Foote Memorial Animal Shelter in Edgartown open, but the exact framework has yet to be determined. Last week, MSPCA president Carter Luke said his organization would donate use of the building and equipment at no cost to the county.
A cat awaits adoption in the soon-to-close MSPCA shelter.
File photo by Ralph Stewart
At a meeting of the All Island Selectmen Monday of last week Mr. Luke said the shelter has run substantial deficits for several years. Two days later, at their regular Wednesday meeting, county commissioners voted to establish a new fund for donations and provide administrative services as an interim solution.
Prior to the vote, commission chairman Leonard Jason Jr. cautioned that the county does not have the funds to operate an animal shelter, but the commission is willing to provide a structure for continuing shelter services while local towns work on funding for a regional solution. "Right now, we've got to put our finger in the dike," said Mr. Jason. "This isn't going to be easy."
The commissioners discussed taking money from the county's reserve account to temporarily fund salary and operating expenses for the animal shelter. The commissioners said they do not now have money in their budget to fund, even temporarily, shelter operating expenses.
The county's reserve fund currently has a balance of $117,000. The commissioners said any transfer would need to be accompanied by an agreement under which the Martha's Vineyard towns would reimburse the county.
The 2010 fiscal year draft county budget is $1.8 million. The total assessment for the six Island towns is $777,916.
Any transfer would require the approval of the county advisory board, the commission's financial oversight authority, made up of one selectman from each town.
Long-time supporters of county government have often pointed to the regional opportunities the county framework provides. In a telephone conversation following the meeting, the county's paid manager said the need for an Island dog shelter is just such an opportunity.
"Because it's a regional issue, it's a good fit," said county manager Russell Smith. "It's clearly an issue that needs a regional response. The long-term plan is to set up some management structure. Somebody knowledgeable in these issues is going to have to oversee policy decisions that need to be made."
Separately, each of the six Island towns fund animal control offices. How much support an Island-wide animal shelter could expect from town budgets, under pressure now, and likely to be under pressure in futures years, is unclear.
Last year, in total, Island taxpayers spent $268,367 on animal control services. (See accompanying chart.)
Mr. Luke told Island officials the shelter costs approximately $250,000 annually to operate, and for the past several years it has run a deficit of approximately $130,000.
The county is working to evaluate what level of services can be continued, and what it will cost.
"They expect us to go back to them and give them an idea of the total cost, and what share each town would pay," said Mr. Smith. He cautions that the county is focusing on short-term solutions for the moment, with the MSPCA scheduled to withdraw from Martha's Vineyard in less than a month.
"We're not going to be able to exactly mirror the services the MSPCA has provided over the years," said Mr. Smith. "But there is a certain core group of services that need to be maintained. We will try to accomplish that for this interim period, while a more substantial long-term plan can be developed."
Martha's Vineyard Commission executive director Mark London said his agency can help develop a business plan for the animal shelter, with grant money available to explore regional solutions for Island needs.
Kerry Scott, a founding member of the Martha's Vineyard Dog Club, attended the meeting to make a $1,000 donation on behalf of the club. "We're committed to making this work," said Ms. Scott, who is an Oak Bluffs selectman.
As a government body, Dukes County can accept tax deductible donations for the shelter, according to county treasurer Noreen Mavro Flanders. Section 170(c)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code allows givers to deduct donations used exclusively for public purposes.
Animal shelter donations
Dukes County can accept fully deductible donations under section 170(c)(1) of the IRS code. Checks should be made out to the County of Dukes County, noting on the check's memo line that the donation is for the animal shelter. Donations should be sent to the county's regular address:
P.O. Box 190
Edgartown, MA, 02539
