The Durham County Commissioners approved over $500,000 in budget items and deferred a major funding decision for the Animal Protection Society during their June 5 meeting, while also grappling with how to fund major infrastructure improvements that could raise property taxes significantly.
The Animal Protection Society requested a $201,958 increase—a 23 percent bump to their $878,375 county contract—citing rising veterinary costs and the need to raise starting wages from $16.95 to $17.45 per hour. The organization, which has operated the county animal shelter since 1990, is running a substantial deficit. Commissioner Michael Burns expressed concern about approving such a large increase without a competitive bidding process and asked for more financial information. The Commissioners gave themselves until June 12 to decide, with an option to defer the decision until August when the full contract comes up for renewal.
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