The James River Humane Society is asking for a half-mill property tax increase to support its operation and we think Jamestown should support it.
JRHS is asking for a minimal amount -- $2.25 cents per year on a $100,000 home -- to support the shelter that cares for about 150 cats and dogs per year.
Those dogs and cats are animals that might otherwise be put down if the city were the only shelter available. The city has to pay a fee each time it euthanizes an animal. If the city had to pay that fee for each animal it dropped off at JRHS, the expense to the city would increase significantly and taxpayers would pick up that cost. The half mill per year saves taxpayer dollars and the lives of our furry little friends.
Currently, the JRHS receives $1,500 from the city annually. That money goes toward its annual budget of about $85,000. The rest of the funds come from private donors and fundraisers the shelter holds twice a month, said Skip Olson, president of the society.
The half-mill increase would generate about $13,000 per year, enough to give the two dozen or so volunteers a break from the twice-monthly bake sales, chili feeds and other fundraisers they hold now just to keep their doors open.
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Some Jamestown residents have expressed concern about giving taxpayer dollars to a nonprofit organization. If taxpayers fund the Humane Society, they wonder, which other charitable organizations will also seek government help? The concern is valid. But because the shelter's existence saves taxpayer money, by voting for this measure, taxpayers are in effect, funding something they'd have to pay for anyway.
Plus, the shelter's only purpose isn't just to save animals; it also helps the welfare of residents here. Students at the Anne Carlsen Center and patients from the North Dakota State Hospital, as well as other organizations, visit the shelter regularly to pet and play with the animals. Spending time with them is therapeutic, Olson said.
The money generated from the measure remains in Jamestown.
The election is June 8. Vote "Yes" on City Measure 1.
(Editorials are the opinion of Jamestown Sun management and the newspaper's editorial board)
