Steuben County Humane Society seeks $84,761 as council awaits county commissioners’ formal request

Steve Mumby and Allen Stout, representing the Steuben County Humane Society, asked the Steuben County Council on Jan. 13 for $84,761 — described as half of the shelter’s annual operating budget — and said the organization cannot continue at the current service level without municipal support.

"It is no longer feasible or reasonable to think a humane shelter in a county of this size can operate without funding," Mumby said, adding that Steuben County accounts for roughly 60 percent of the shelter’s intake. He said the shelter hopes to collect a total of $141,000 if the county and all cities and towns contribute proportionally.

Mumby told the council the shelter has received a donated parcel of land along 200 North next to I-69 and has plans and initial fundraising underway for a new facility, but said construction cannot proceed until operating funding is secured. He also said the shelter previously operated under a county contract that paid $18,000 annually but that a new funding request prompted a change in status.

Council members asked for the shelter’s operating budget details; Mumby agreed to provide copies. Council President Richard Shipe said the council needed to wait for a formal funding request from the County Commissioners before taking official action on appropriations for the shelter.

The council did not vote on funding during the meeting. The Humane Society’s plea and Mumby’s estimate that the county represents a majority of intake set a clear marker for budget discussions ahead of the 2015 appropriations review.