Isn’t it nice when things seem to work out?
After several weeks of friction over the City of Athens’ annual contribution to the Henderson County Humane Society, the conversation took a much more pleasant tone Monday night.
Longtime Humane Society official Norma Lambert thanked council members Charles Elliott, Joe Whatley and Tres Winn for meeting with the Humane Society and “opening a dialogue and discussion.”
Speaking to the council during its regular meeting Monday, Lambert said, “That getting together changed our whole outlook.”
The Humane Society had been asking the city to take on 25 percent of the cost for running the shelter, or about $62,000. If they couldn’t get that, officials said, they would have to give 90-day notice to break their contract with the city.
The city budgeted a 67 percent increase for the Humane Society, taking its annual contribution from $31,000 to $52,000.
You don’t have to be a math major to see that there is a $10,000 difference between what was requested and what was given.
Any thoughts of controversy evaporated, however, as Lambert spoke. She credited not only the council members, but also members in the community who stepped up to help.
“I just want to let you know we appreciate it,” she said.
I think this is still a paltry amount for the City of Athens to pay this wonderful organization. I understand budget constraints, however, try to think outside the box. By simply adding $1.00 to all water meters in the City, and designating that additional amount to what you currently propose, that could be a lifeline for the Humane Society.