Status change would ease burden on animal services: Santos

Winnipeg animal services doesn’t pay for itself and may soon no longer be expected to do so.

A new staff report calls on city council to dissolve the animal services special operating agency, which would allow the “core public service” to become part of Winnipeg’s community services department at the end of this year.

Animal services became a special operating agency on Jan. 1, 2000, when city council expected it to become fully funded through its own revenues.

However, it has never managed to do so, with general city revenues covering part of its operations every year.

“It’s still very much tax-supported, so I think it’s a good idea to bring them into community services,” said Coun. Vivian Santos (Point Douglas), chairwoman of the community services committee.

Santos said the change should reduce the workload for animal services staff, since they would no longer be required to create an annual business plan.

The change should also reduce duplicated administrative work, while the mandate and daily operations of the service stay the same, the report notes.

Santos said the changes will not result in job losses and residents “shouldn’t see any difference to the service.”

After 26 years as a special operating agency, it’s clear the service can’t cover all of its own costs, the staff report states.

“In practice, animal services does not generate sufficient revenue to fully fund its operation … approximately 31 per cent of the agency’s operating funding is provided through (general city revenues), rather than internally generated,” it notes.

The change would require the support of two-thirds of city council members. That vote is expected on June 25.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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