Floyd County Expected to Boost Spay and Neuter Clinics at PAWS

Floyd County Commissioners are expected to sign off Tuesday on an increase in the number of low-cost spay and neuter clinics offered by the public animal welfare services facility.

PAWS is seeking a budget amendment to reflect the revenue and expenses from the clinics, which have been offered four times so far this year. There are currently over 300 animals on the waiting list and plans are to hold two clinics a month for the rest of the year to meet the demand.

The new budget proposal is $15,000 in revenue and $15,000 in expenses. Currently, the program has $5,200 in revenue and $1,600 in expenses.

The county adopted a mandatory spay and neuter ordinance in October 2023 and allowed a six month grace period before enforcement started. The cost at PAWS ranges from $45 to $65 for cats and $85 to $165 for dogs, depending on weight and gender. Financial assistance is available for qualified pet owners.

Commissioners are scheduled to caucus at 4 p.m. and start their regular meeting at 6 p.m. in the county administration building, 12 E. Fourth Ave. Both sessions are public, although the board is scheduled to go into a closed session during caucus to discuss property acquisition, litigation, and personnel.

Among the new business items on the agenda is approval of the 2024 spending plan for projects funded through the 2023 special purpose, local option sales tax package.

Collections began April 1, after the 2017 SPLOST collection ended. Commissioners put a mechanism in place early this year that would allow them to issue bonds to jump start projects. However, they’ve indicated a preference for pay-as-you-go, meaning projects would be funded as revenue comes in.

Final approval for employee pay raises to take effect Sept. 1 also is on the agenda, along with the employee heath insurance plan for the next year. The county and employees will each see an increase of 3.3%, corresponding to the Consumer Price Index increase for medical care services as of June.