La Plata, MD – The uncertainty of what is going to happen with the Tri-County Animal Shelter in the future has surfaced in this year’s budget debates for the Charles County Commissioners.

The proposed Fiscal Year 2017 general budget does include the possibility of adding four attendants to the facility, the cost of which may be shared with Calvert and St. Mary’s counties, according to the current agreement between the three counties.

With Calvert planning to build its own shelter in the future, that leaves St. Mary’s and Charles to ponder the future.

At their weekly meeting Tuesday, April 12, Charles County Commissioner Ken Robinson [D-District 1] wanted to make it clear that he intends to ask for $50,000 to conduct a feasibility study for a new shelter.

“Would that be appropriate for the general budget or the CIP [Capital Improvement Projects]?” he asked Charles County Financial Director David Eicholtz.

“We could do it in either,” Eicholtz noted. “If the feasibility study leads to an asset, we would wrap it in with the capital budget and do it in a different way.”

“What about based on the cost, because what I’m proposing is minimal in terms of money, we might easily wrap into the general budget,” Robinson said.

“Cost is always important especially to me, Commissioner Robinson,” Eicholtz responded. “Again, it gets back to, if it becomes part of an asset value, we may fund it separately.”

“What I’m looking to do is fund a feasibility study and the other side of that is, if the other counties engage with us, it will help us to determine what direction we will move in,” Robinson said. “St. Mary’s County has already decided to fund a feasibility study.

“I’m suggesting $50,000,” he added. “If we approve it, we could co-fund with St. Mary’s and its reducing the overall cost of the feasibility study, because the study would not only recognize whether we should have a new shelter, but also how it would be operated, staffing needs, things of that nature.

“I’d like to propose a $50,000 feasibility study,” Robinson said. “Where we place it I leave it up to you.”

Eicholtz suggested bringing the issue up when discussion moved into the CIP budget, and so he did.

“Without repeating all the reasons why, I want to add $50,000 to the CIP for the animal shelter,” he said. “Do we need to do that in the form of a motion?”

County Administrator Michael Mallinoff suggested going through the proposal and other commissioner suggestions and then come back before the board.

“My feeling is we should go through these requests and review them,” he said. “In addition to that, there is a question, if we do that, there is the possibility of splitting the cost with St. Mary’s.”

There are only a few weeks left before the proposed budget has to be brought before the county for public hearing and then adopted.

Contact Joseph Norris at joe.norris@thebaynet.com