[1. CALL TO ORDER] [00:00:05] EVENING. CHAIR CALLS TO ORDER. FISCAL YEAR 25 BUDGET. PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR RESOLUTION 008 25. ADOPTION OF PROPERTY TAX RATE. RESOLUTION 009 DASH 25. FISCAL YEAR 26. CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM BILL 20 5-005. ANNUAL BUDGET APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE. THE SOLE PURPOSE OF THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS TO HEAR COMMENTS CONCERNING BILL NUMBER 25 005, WHICH IS THE PROPOSED ANNUAL BUDGET AND APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE FOR HARFORD COUNTY FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30TH, 2026, AND ALSO RESOLUTION 008 DASH 28 OR EXCUSE ME 25, WHICH PROPOSES TO MAINTAIN THE CURRENT TAX RATE AND RESOLUTION 009 DASH 25, WHICH IS THE CAPITAL PROGRAM FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30TH, 2026 THROUGH JUNE 30TH, 2031. THE COUNCIL ALSO ACCEPTS AND WILL CONSIDER WRITTEN TESTIMONY SUBMITTED IN ADDITION TO OR IN LIEU OF VERBAL TESTIMONY. WE'RE [2. PUBLIC HEARING COMMENTS] NOW READY FOR OUR FIRST SPEAKER, MISS DIXON. HOW MANY SPEAKERS DO WE HAVE? MR. PRESIDENT, THERE ARE 14 THIS EVENING. OKAY, WITH 14 SPEAKERS AGAIN, WE WILL STICK TO THE THREE MINUTE MINIMUM OR EXCUSE ME, MAXIMUM AND. IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY. I DON'T WANT TO MAKE IT ANY LONGER. SO THREE MINUTE MAXIMUM. BUT THEY MUST BE RELATED TO THE BUDGET. IF THERE ARE ISSUES OUTSIDE OF THE BUDGET, THEY'LL HAVE TO COME TO US AT ANOTHER TIME. SO, MISS DIXON, CALL YOUR FIRST SPEAKER. DENISE SAVINO, FOLLOWED BY VERNA WHITE. GOOD EVENING, MADAM. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. DENISE SAVINO, THREE FIVE, THREE SIX SCARBOROUGH ROAD, MARYLAND. I WANTED TO SPEAK ABOUT THE HARFORD COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY'S BUDGET. I KNOW THE DIRECTOR WAS HERE A WEEK AGO, AND SHE. SHE DID. SHE'S NOT LISTENING. AND SHE DID ADMIT THAT SOME OF THE DOGS WATER BOWLS WERE FROZEN BECAUSE THE DOGS PUSHED THEM A LITTLE TOO CLOSE TO THEM. IN ALL HONESTY, THAT'S NOT BUDGET RELATED. SO PLEASE KEEP YOUR COMMENTS TO THE BUDGET. WELL, THIS IS ALL ABOUT THE BUDGET, ABOUT HOW THEY THEY DON'T RESPECT THEIR THEIR EMPLOYEES OR THEIR VOLUNTEERS. AND IT'S ALL THEY NEED TRANSPARENCY. AND HOW COME THEY COULD PUT PUT OUT PLEAS FOR FOOD AND SNACKS FOR THE DOGS, BUT YET THEY CAN SEND FOUR PEOPLE TO LAS VEGAS. TELL ME HOW THAT WORKS. I CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION. I DON'T OVERSEE THE HUMANE SOCIETY, MA'AM. YES, I KNOW, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ASKING YOU TO DO TO OVERSEE IT. THANK YOU. ARE THE PEOPLE THAT CAN DO THE CHANGE. THANK YOU MA'AM. CALL YOUR NEXT SPEAKER, VERNA WHITE, FOLLOWED BY BRIAN WALKER. VERNON'S NOT HERE. BRIAN WALKER, FOLLOWED BY STACY CUTLER. GOOD EVENING, SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING, BRIAN WALKER, 1011 GLEN ANGUS DRIVE, BEL AIR, MARYLAND. GOOD EVENING, ESTEEMED MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK WITH YOU TODAY. AS I JUST SAID, MY NAME IS BRIAN WALKER, AND I'M COMING TO YOU TONIGHT AS THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR HARFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE. AND I'M HERE TO DISCUSS THE COUNTY'S FUNDING FOR OUR COLLEGE. I DIDN'T SAY THE COLLEGE. I SAID OUR COLLEGE. EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM RIGHT NO, FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS, HARFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE HAS BEEN FLAT FUNDED BY THE COUNTY. WE UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES THAT THE COUNTY FACES. WE TRULY DO. HOWEVER, THIS THIS SUSTAINED FLAT FUNDING HAS HAD A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON OUR STUDENTS AND THE WIDER COMMUNITY THAT WE DO SERVE. HARFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE IS A VITAL RESOURCE IN OUR COMMUNITY, PROVIDING ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE, AND I'LL UNDERLINE, AFFORDABLE EDUCATION AND CRUCIAL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. NOW, DESPITE THESE FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS, WE HAVE ACHIEVED SIGNIFICANT OUTCOMES. HOWEVER, WE HAVE REACHED A POINT WHERE CONTINUED FLAT FUNDING WILL JEOPARDIZE THE ABILITY TO EFFECTIVELY DELIVER ON OUR MISSION AS A COLLEGE TO ENSURE THAT WE CONTINUE PROVIDE THESE ESSENTIAL SERVICES, WE'RE REQUIRING THE COUNTY SUPPORT. THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT THAT IS THE COLLEGE HAS A DILIGENT, HAS DILIGENTLY WORKED TO MANAGE COSTS. NEVERTHELESS, SUSTAINED FLAT FUNDING HAS CAUSED US TO KIND OF DIP INTO OUR OUR FUND BALANCE TO COVER ESSENTIAL OPERATING EXPENSES OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS. NOW, THAT FUND BALANCE THAT'S INTENDED FOR LONG TERM STRATEGIC PROJECTS, AS YOU ALL KNOW, AND THIS PROJECT OR [00:05:01] THIS PRACTICE IS NOT SUSTAINABLE, AND IT DOES POSE A RISK ON OUR LONG TERM FINANCIAL STABILITY. SO WHILE WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO MAINTAINING HIGH QUALITY OF EDUCATION AND SERVICES, THIS BECOMES INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT WITHOUT THE NECESSARY FUNDS. THIS IS GOING TO SOUND LIKE A KIND OF A, I GUESS, A TAGLINE, BUT INVESTING IN HARFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE IS INVESTING IN THE FUTURE OF OUR COMMUNITY. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT WITH IT IS ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL TO OUR ECONOMIC GROWTH. IT RELIES HEAVILY ON THE COLLEGE. WE CONSIDER OURSELVES A KEY PARTNER IN THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ARM OF HARFORD COUNTY, PRIORITIZING THE COLLEGE'S FUNDING IN THE FUTURE WILL ENSURE OUR ABILITY TO CONTINUE PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY, AFFORDABLE EDUCATION. AND I'LL END ON THIS. AS YOU ALREADY KNOW, WE'RE ONE OF THE LARGER EMPLOYERS IN HARFORD COUNTY. AND YES, WHAT HAPPENS? THIS FUNDING IS ACTUALLY GOING TO HELP OUR STUDENTS. BUT KEEP IN MIND, EVERY DOLLAR THAT COMES INTO THE COLLEGE ACTUALLY HELPS THE COLLEGE AND HELPS THE COMMUNITY. WE HAVE 1400 EMPLOYEES. WE SERVE 14,000 STUDENTS. THAT'S BIGGER THAN SOME D3 AND D2, TWO SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTY OR IN THE STATE, OR EVEN IN THE COUNTRY. 92% OF THE 1400 EMPLOYEES LIVE HERE IN TAXPAYING CITIZENS OF HARFORD COUNTY. THAT'S IMPORTANT. SO EVERY DOLLAR THAT'S GOING INTO THAT COLLEGE IS COMING OUT IN IN A DIFFERENT FORMAT. SO I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. AND THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO MY IMPORTANT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. STACY CUTLER, FOLLOWED BY TYLER ZEISLOFT. GOOD EVENING MADAM. NAME AND ADDRESS PLEASE. MY NAME IS STACY CUTLER, 106 SEAVIEW COURT, BEL AIR, MARYLAND. FIVE MONTHS INTO 2025, THE HUMANE SOCIETY FINALLY REPORTED THEIR 2024 ANIMAL DATA ON THEIR WEBSITE JUST THIS WEEK AFTER NUMEROUS PUBLIC REQUESTS. UNFORTUNATELY, THE ANIMAL NUMBERS DO NOT ADD UP. ONE SET OF THE DATA ADDS UP TO A TOTAL INTAKE OF 3108 ANIMALS. THE SECOND SET OF DATA ON THE SAME POSTER ADDS UP TO A TOTAL INTAKE OF 3397 ANIMALS. THIS IS A DISCREPANCY OF 300 ANIMALS, WHICH RESULTS IN POSSIBLE ADDITIONAL FUNDING. THE FIRST SET OF DATA CALCULATES OUT TO A DISMAL 80% LIVE RELEASE RATE, WHILE THE SECOND SET OF DATA YIELDS AN 87% LIVE RELEASE RATE. AND YET, THE SAME PAGE CLAIMS THEY ACHIEVED A 92% SO-CALLED PLACEMENT RATE. ONCE AGAIN, WE ASK THE HUMANE SOCIETY TO SHARE ACCURATE AND TIMELY ANIMAL DATA IN A CUSTOMARY FORMAT ON YOUR WEBSITE THE WAY OTHER SHELTERS DO. PLEASE REPORT MONTHLY AND REPORT EACH CATEGORY OF ANIMAL INTAKES AND OUTCOMES. THIS IS TRANSPARENCY. THIS ALLOWS AN INDEPENDENT AND ACCURATE CALCULATION OF YOUR LIVE RELEASE RATE. THIS IS A CRUCIAL METRIC FOR DONORS AND CITIZENS TO UNDERSTAND YOUR SUCCESS IN FINDING HOMES FOR ANIMALS AND YOUR OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS, IT IS FREE TO CALCULATE. IT IS DATA YOU ALREADY COLLECT IN PET POINT AND IS REQUIRED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE QUARTERLY. WHY NOT PUBLISH THIS FOR YOUR DONORS AND CITIZENS? PRIOR TO 2015, THE SHELTER WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR LIVE RELEASE RATES WELL BELOW 75%. PUBLIC SCRUTINY REQUIRED THE SHELTER TO DO BETTER. THE HUMANE SOCIETY STEPPED UP AND DID KEEP A LIVE RELEASE RATE ABOVE 90% FOR MANY YEARS, AND THAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH A PAID STAFF OF ROUGHLY 25. THE SHELTER NOW REPORTS THEY HAD 45 PAID STAFF IN 2024, AND IN FISCAL YEAR 2023, INCREASE OF $420,000 IN EMPLOYEE WAGES, BENEFITS AND COMPENSATION. SO WHY HAS THE 2024 LIVE RELEASE RATE GONE DOWN TO 80 OR 87%, DEPENDING UPON WHICH POSTED NUMBER YOU BELIEVE, NEARLY DOUBLING YOUR NUMBER OF PAID STAFF, YET AT THE SAME TIME, DECREASING YOUR LIVE RELEASE RATE IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE USE OF COUNTY FUNDS AND CITIZEN DONATIONS. I OPPOSE AN INCREASE IN FUNDING FOR THE HUMANE SOCIETIES UNTIL THEY ACHIEVE, MAINTAIN AND REGULARLY REPORT A QUARTERLY LIVE RELEASE RATE ABOVE 90%. THANK YOU, THANK YOU MA'AM. GOOD EVENING SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS PLEASE. TYLER ZEISLOFT, 712 EAST FARROW COURT, BEL AIR, MARYLAND. MY NAME IS TYLER ZEISLOFT AND I AM THE [00:10:08] EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF VISIT HARFORD. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TONIGHT. I STRONGLY SUPPORT VISIT HARFORD AND I, ALONG WITH OUR PARTNERS, ARE FINDING MAJOR ISSUES AND CONCERNS WITH THE LATEST PROPOSED BUDGET SPECIFICALLY TO TOURISM. WE URGE THIS COUNCIL TO HOLD THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND HIS ADMINISTRATION ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ONGOING DISREGARD OF BOTH THE LAW AND THIS BODY'S CLEAR DIRECTIVES. VISIT. HARFORD HAS SERVED AS HARFORD COUNTY'S TOURISM ENGINE FOR NEARLY A DECADE, DELIVERING RESULTS AND TRANSPARENCY TWICE AT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVES OWN REQUEST VISIT. HARFORD DEVELOPED DETAILED COLLABORATION PLANS, EACH TIME WITH THE UNDERSTANDING AND ENCOURAGEMENT THAT WE WOULD BE PAID ACCORDING TO OUR CONTRACT EACH TIME PAYMENT WAS WITHHELD. DESPITE OUR GOOD FAITH EFFORTS AND CONTINUED SERVICE TO THE COUNTY. WHEN THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE SCRUTINIZED VISIT HARFORD FOR HAVING A BRANDED VEHICLE, WE SOLD IT AS A PART OF OUR COLLABORATION PLAN. STILL NO PAYMENT. FAST FORWARD AND THE NEW COUNTY RUN TOURISM ENTITY NOW HAS ITS OWN BRANDED VEHICLE, DEMONSTRATING THE ARBITRARY AND INCONSISTENT STANDARDS BEING APPLIED TO VISIT HARFORD. COUNCIL MEMBERS UNANIMOUSLY PASSED A LAW SETTING DEDICATED FUNDING FOR VISIT HARFORD, CODIFYING INTO LAW WHAT THE HOTEL TAX WAS ALWAYS INTENDED TO DO SUPPORT TOURISM THROUGH AN INDEPENDENT, ACCOUNTABLE ORGANIZATION. YET THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE CONTINUES TO WITHHOLD PAYMENT, ACTING AS IF HE'S ABOVE THE LAW AND IGNORING THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL AND THE PEOPLE YOU REPRESENT. THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE CLAIMS THERE WAS NO TRANSPARENCY FROM VISIT HARFORD, BUT THE RECORDS SHOW OTHERWISE, WITH DETAILED FINANCIALS, INCLUDING RECEIPTS THAT WERE DELIVERED QUARTERLY TO DIRECTOR HOLT WITH NO QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS EVER RAISED WHEN COUNCIL MEMBERS REVIEWED OUR REPORTS, YOUR QUESTIONS WERE ANSWERED ADEQUATELY AND IN DETAIL. MEANWHILE, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, WHO CLAIMS TO BE A STEWARD OF THE TAXPAYERS MONEY, HAS CREATED A NEW TOURISM OFFICE THAT COSTS 40% MORE BALLOONING FROM VISIT HARFORD 645,000 TO OVER $900,000 WITH THE COUNTY'S NEW TOURISM ENTITY. THIS OFFICE DUPLICATES SERVICES AND UNDERMINES THE EFFICIENCY AND INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE THAT VISIT HARFORD HAS DELIVERED FOR YEARS, WITHHOLDING LEGALLY MANDATED FUNDING, EXCUSE ME MANDATED FUNDING DEMANDING THE SURRENDER OF OUR LOGO AND WEBSITE AS A CONDITION FOR PAYMENT AND REDIRECTING STATE GRANTS AWAY FROM VISIT HARFORD ARE NOT JUST BAD FAITH TACTICS. THEY'RE ACTIONS THAT HAVE HURT LOCAL BUSINESSES, DAMAGED OUR ECONOMY AND SET A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT FOR GOVERNANCE IN HARFORD COUNTY. I THANK THIS COUNCIL FOR YOUR UNANIMOUS SUPPORT AND URGE YOU TO ENFORCE THE LAW THAT YOU PASSED UNANIMOUSLY, EVEN AFTER A COUNTY EXECUTIVE VETO, HOLD THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE ACCOUNTABLE. ENSURE THAT THE TOURISM DOLLARS GO TO WHERE THEY'RE INTENDED TO PROMOTE HARFORD COUNTY THROUGH AN EXPERIENCED, PROVEN, TRANSPARENT AND COST EFFECTIVE PARTNER IN VISIT HARFORD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR. JOY GAIN FOLLOWED BY JUDY PENCE. NO, I'M GOING TO NEED THE MICROPHONE FOR OPENING IF POSSIBLE. ARE YOU THE NEXT SPEAKER, MA'AM? I'M NOT. OKAY. MY NAME IS JOY GAIN. MY ADDRESS IS 8026 CARADOC DRIVE, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND. I'M. I VOLUNTEER FOR THE HUMANE SOCIETY FOR SEVEN YEARS, BUT I WAS RECENTLY TERMINATED FOR POSTING A COMMENT ON FACEBOOK. WELL, I'M NOT PRIVY TO THE ONGOINGS OF THE SHELTER. I DID SEE AND HEAR THINGS WHILE VOLUNTEERING THAT CONCERNED ME AS TO WHAT THEY DO WITH THEIR MONEY. WE WERE TOLD AT A VOLUNTEER MEETING THAT THE MONEY TO BUILD THE BACK BUILDING WAS A BEQUEST, BUT THE MONEY SEEMED TO DISAPPEAR BEFORE COMPLETION. WHEN ASKED IF THE GUILLOTINE DOORS COULD BE REPLACED, WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO MONEY IN THE BUDGET AT THE MOMENT. I ASKED FOR MIRRORS TO BE PUT ON THE FENCES AS YOU COME AROUND THE CORNER, SO THAT THE DOG TO DOG CONTACT WASN'T THERE AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO MONEY IN THE BUDGET FOR THAT SORT OF THING. WHEN ASKED WHY THE DOGS ONLY GET FED ONCE A DAY WAS TOLD BECAUSE IT'S CHEAPER. PLEASE GO OUT TO THE PUBLIC ON SOCIAL MEDIA ALL THE TIME FOR TREATS FOR DOGS, BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY FOR IT. I GUESS WITH ALL THAT BEING SAID, I'M NOT OPPOSED TO THE SHELTER RECEIVING THEIR REQUESTED FUNDS. IF IT MEANS THAT IT'S THE ANIMALS ARE GOING TO BE BETTER CARED FOR. HOWEVER, I AM OPPOSED TO JUST GIVING IT TO THEM WITHOUT SOME SORT OF REPORTING ON HOW THE FUNDS ARE SPENT. THE REPORT SHOULD GO TO THE COUNCIL OR SOMEONE DESIGNATED AS THEIR REPRESENTATIVE, NOT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, TO OVERSEE THE SPENDING AT THE SHELTER. THE REQUESTED $1.9 MILLION IS A LOT OF MONEY, AND ACCOUNTABILITY NEEDS TO BE KEY. MAYBE IT SHOULD BE GIVEN IN QUARTERLY INSTALLMENTS THAT ARE CONTINGENT ON RECEIVING SATISFACTORY REPORTS PREPARED BY MANAGEMENT AS TO HOW THE MONEY WAS ACTUALLY SPENT, OR MAYBE THE FINANCIAL DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS SHOULD BE TAKEN OVER BY AN INDEPENDENT THIRD PARTY. THERE ARE A LOT OF ANIMALS IN THEIR CARE THAT THE PUBLIC ASSUMES ARE BEING TAKEN CARE OF PROPERLY UNTIL FINDING THEIR FOREVER HOMES, WHILE THE SHELTER IS SUPPOSEDLY OPERATING AT A DEFICIT AND THE MONIES ARE GOING WHEREVER. I DOUBT THIS IS THE CASE. THE SHELTER IS AN INTEGRAL, INTEGRAL PART OF THE COMMUNITY, AND IT NEEDS TO OPERATE AS SUCH AND BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR ITS OPERATIONS. [00:15:02] IT WAS SAID BY THE DIRECTOR THAT THE VOLUNTEERS STANDARDS COMPARED TO THE SHELTER STANDARDS MAY SIMPLY BE DIFFERENT FOR THE CARE OF THE DOGS. WHY SHOULD THAT BE? SHOULDN'T THEY BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO NORMAL CARE STANDARDS FOR THEIR DOGS? MAYBE IF THEY RECEIVE THE EXTRA MONEY THEY ARE REQUESTING, THEY CAN RAISE THAT STANDARD AND TAKE CARE OF THE DOGS BETTER. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. THANK YOU MA'AM. HELLO, MY NAME IS JUDY PENCE. MY ADDRESS IS TWO 100 CYPRESS DRIVE, BEL AIR. THE H. THE HARFORD COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY PAID A MINIMUM. ADMINISTRATION IS EVASIVE, SHADY AND SECRETIVE, SECRETIVE AND UNRESPONSIVE TO CITIZENS. TAXPAYERS REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE SHELTER, THEIR EXPENDITURES, EXPENDITURES AND THEIR POLICIES. IT'S OUR MONEY AND THEY'RE GETTING OUR MONEY, SO WE SHOULD HAVE SOME SAY THEY MUST PROVIDE ON THEIR WEBSITE, THEIR FULL BUDGET, THEIR SALARIES, TOTALS, VETERINARY MEDICINE AND CARE COSTS, COSTS FOR FOOD AND WATER. WHAT ARE WE SPENDING THIS MONEY FOR? OUR TAXPAYER MONEY IS PAYING FOR THIS, AND THEY NEED TO HAVE SOME KIND OF KNOWLEDGE OF ANIMALS, BECAUSE THEY DON'T SEEM TO HAVE A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE OF ANIMALS BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST KILLING THEM RIGHT AND LEFT. AND THE EUTHANASIA RATE HAS GONE UP. LIKEWISE, FOR THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, THEY NEED A RUDIMENTARY UNDERSTANDING OF THE ANIMALS THAT THEY'RE THERE AT THE SHELTER. THEY'RE ALL A BUNCH OF BANK PRESIDENTS AND SUCH. THEY'RE NOT EVEN LIKE REGULAR ANIMAL LOVERS AND PEOPLE. WHAT KNOWLEDGE DO THEY HAVE? AND ALSO ON THEIR THEIR BYLAWS, IT SAYS THAT THEY CAN'T BE PAID AS THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AS A MEMBER OF THAT, HOWEVER, THEY CAN DO JOBS FOR THE HUMANE SOCIETY AND THEY CAN BE COMPENSATED FOR THAT. SO THEY CAN BE MAKING MONEY TO WHAT? WHAT ARE THEY GETTING PAID FOR? YOU KNOW, BASICALLY STOP ALL ALL THE INDISCRIMINATE EUTHANASIA AND PROVIDE AFFORDABLE SPAY NEUTER, INNOVATE VENUES TO INCREASE ADOPTIONS. AND THEY ALSO NEED WRITE UPS ON THE WEBSITE OF WHO THEIR BOARD MEMBERS ARE AND STAFF ARE. SO WE KNOW WHO THE HECK WE'RE PAYING FOR AND WHO THEY'RE WORKING FOR. THE BIGGEST THING IS THEY HAVE VETERINARIANS WORKING THERE, AND THEIR DIRECTOR SAID THAT WE'VE GOT VETERINARIANS, WE HAVE FOUR VETERINARIANS. THEY'RE ALL VERY PART TIME. THEY'RE BARELY PAID. THEY NEED TWO FULL TIME VETERINARY STAFF THAT ARE PAID BY THE SHELTER, AND THEY NEED TO BE PART OF THE PROCESS, AND THEY NEED TO FOLLOW THEIR POLICIES. THEREFORE, EUTHANASIA AND ANIMAL CARE, WHICH THEY ARE NOT DOING, WHICH YOU CAN ASK MANY OF THE FORMER VOLUNTEERS THAT WORKED THERE THAT THIS IS NOT HAPPENING AND THERE SHOULD BE A FULL ACCOUNTING AND SPREADSHEET OF ALL ANIMALS TAKEN IN, ALL ACTIONS TAKEN, WHETHER LOST OR STRAY. WHAT? WHAT ARE THE EXPENSES HERE? AND I PROVIDED YOU WITH THIS DOCUMENT. THEY HAVE CEASED TO ASSIST HELPING LOCAL TNR GROUPS TO PREVENT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THIS PICTURE. I'VE SENT YOU ALL THIS. THEY NEED TO HELP SPAY AND NEUTER WHEN THEY WITH TNR PROGRAMS AND OTHER ANIMAL SHELTERS, BECAUSE THOSE PEOPLE AREN'T GETTING ANY MONEY. THE ONLY THE HUMANE SOCIETY IS. SO I NEED YOU TO BRING YOUR COMMENTS TO A CLOSE. OKAY. I'M DONE. THAT'S IT. SO CAN YOU HAND ERIC THE MIC, PLEASE? YEAH. THANK YOU, THANK YOU MA'AM. THANK YOU. SO BEFORE WE GO ANY FURTHER, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ME TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT WE MET WITH THE HUMANE SOCIETY TODAY. THEY WILL BE HERE ON THE 27TH TO DO A PRESENTATION. WE WILL BE ASKING QUESTIONS. WE DID ASK IF THEY HAD ANY TYPE OF AGREEMENT WITH THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT. MR. OVERBAY WAS PROVIDED THAT THIS EVENING. THEY DID GIVE US A COPY OF IT. SO THEY THEY HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, NOT WITH COUNCIL. SO I WANT YOU ALL TO UNDERSTAND THAT. AND AS THE NEXT FEW DAYS GO ON, WE'LL UNDERSTAND MORE. SO, MISS DIXON, CALL YOUR NEXT SPEAKER. ROSE BARRANCO, FOLLOWED BY ERICA PONZEK. GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ROSE BARRANCO. I LIVE AT 704 HIGHLAND ROAD IN STREET, MARYLAND. MY FAMILY HAS ADOPTED SEVEN DOGS FROM THE HUMANE SOCIETY OVER TEN YEAR PERIOD, AND MOST OF THEM HAD SERIOUS MEDICAL CONDITIONS. AND REGARDLESS, THEY WERE ALL AMAZING PETS. WITH SO MANY REPORTS SURFACING OF UNWISE SPENDING AT THE HUMANE SOCIETY, I CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER IF THE ANIMALS ARE RECEIVING THE MEDICAL EVALUATION AND CARE THEY [00:20:04] NEED. AS SOMEONE WHO HAS DONATED TO THE SHELTER, I'D LIKE TO ASK THE HUMANE SOCIETY TO SHARE THE DETAILS OF THEIR PHOENIX FUND. THE SHELTER CALLS THIS FUND IN, QUOTE, A SPECIAL BANK ACCOUNT SET ASIDE TO PAY FOR COSTLY SURGERIES, SURGERIES, LIFESAVING MEDICATIONS, AND REHABILITATION FOR CRITICALLY INJURED OR ILL ANIMALS. END QUOTE. PLEASE KINDLY PUBLISH ALL OF THE ALL ALL OF THE DONATIONS YOU HAVE RECEIVED AND EXACTLY HOW THOSE DONATIONS HAVE BEEN SPENT ON THE ANIMALS FROM 2023 FORWARD. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK OUR COUNTY COUNCIL TO RESERVE THEIR DECISION ABOUT FUNDING UNTIL THE HUMANE SOCIETY DEMONSTRATES ACCOUNTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. THANK YOU. ERICA PONZEK FOLLOWED BY PAMELA DEEMER. GOOD EVENING MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. IT'S ERICA PONZEK, 3315 CHURCHVILLE ROAD, ABERDEEN, MARYLAND. OKAY. AS SOMEONE WHO'S WORKED FOR THE HUMANE SOCIETY FOR FIVE AND A HALF YEARS AND SPENT A MAJORITY OF THAT TIME FUNDRAISING, I NEVER EXPECTED TO BE OPPOSING A BUDGET INCREASE. I HAVE PERSONALLY SEEN THE AMOUNT OF RESOURCES THE SHELTER HAS WASTED AND IS A HARFORD COUNTY TAXPAYER. I'M APPALLED THAT THEY WOULD ASK FOR $500,000 MORE WITH THE SAME BOARD IN PLACE, WHO HAS BEEN APPROVING AND OVERSEEING THESE COLOSSAL WASTE FOR YEARS WITHOUT COUNTY OVERSIGHT. SOME EXAMPLES. THEY HIRED A STRATEGIC PLANNING COMPANY, AND WE SPENT DAYS WORKING ON A FUTURE PLAN THAT WAS NEVER SPOKEN OF AGAIN. $8,500 PLUS TRAVEL IS SPENT ON A WEEK OF TRAINING THAT MOST STAFF COULDN'T ATTEND DUE TO POOR PLANNING. AND THEN THEY HIRED THOSE TWO PEOPLE TO MOVE ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND MANAGE THE SHELTER. THE SHELTER RECEIVED MORE THAN A $900,000 BEQUEST, WHICH WAS GOING TO BE USED FOR A NEW BUILDING FOR INDOOR PLAY, ARTS AND OFFICES, AND CONSTRUCTION WAS HALTED AFTER PUTTING A ROOF ON IT LAST YEAR AND IT SITS EMPTY, CITING THEY RAN OUT OF MONEY. HOW? WHERE DID IT GO? YOU ASKED THEM ABOUT THEIR WEBSITE. A CONTRACT WAS SIGNED FOR NEW WEBSITE TWO YEARS AGO AND THERE WAS EVEN A PROTOTYPE. BUT THEN NOTHING WAS DONE. EVEN THOUGH BOARD MEMBERS WERE ADAMANT ABOUT THE NEW SITE, YOU HAD ASKED PRESIDENT GEORGE MEYER ABOUT THE FUNDRAISERS, AND HE MENTIONED THE VOS SOCIETY, WHICH WAS ACTUALLY ESTABLISHED IN 2021 AND WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A BOARD RESPONSIBILITY TO FUND DONORS. WHEN I LEFT IN NOVEMBER 2024, THERE WERE TWO DONORS, ONE OF WHICH WAS MR. MEYER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AMANDA HICKMAN MISSPOKE ABOUT THE SHELTER, SPAY AND NEUTER GRANT, WHICH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THEY WERE JUST THROWING OUT BUZZWORDS TO YOU. AFTER BRAGGING ABOUT BEING FULLY STAFFED, MISS HICKMAN STATED THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO CUT STAFF DUE TO THE BUDGET. SHE ADMITTED THAT THE ANIMAL CARE STAFF WAS ALREADY THIN, SO WITH THE SHELTER BEING SO SALARY HEAVY AT THE TOP, I HOPE THAT'S WHERE SHE PLANS TO MAKE THOSE CUTS. CUTTING ANIMAL CARE STAFF WOULD DROP THE SHELTER BELOW THE STANDARDS OF CARE, WHICH IS ALREADY WHERE MANY STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS HAVE THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT IT NOT BEING FOLLOWED. THE SHELTER WAS FINED BY OSHA LAST YEAR UNLESS STAFF ONLY GUARANTEES MORE PROBLEMS. YES, VOLUNTEERS CAN BE DISMISSED FOR BREACHES OF CONTRACT, BUT EXPRESSING CONCERNS ABOUT ANIMALS SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A BREACH. MISS HICKMAN STATED THAT THEY HAD 250 ACTIVE VOLUNTEERS, BUT NOT STATE HOW MANY HOURS THOSE VOLUNTEERS HAVE GIVEN. IF EACH ONLY DOES THE MINIMUM MONTHLY FIVE HOURS, THAT WOULD BARELY EQUAL TO WHAT ONE OF THE DISMISSED VOLUNTEERS HAVE GIVEN. THESE VOLUNTEERS HELP MAKE UP THE GAPS IN STAFFING, AND FIRING THEM DOESN'T MAKE FINANCIAL SENSE. IT'S ALSO A FACT THAT RESCUES RELIEVE THE SHELTER. SEVERING TIES WITH RESCUES BECAUSE THEY RAISE CONCERNS GOES AGAINST EVERYTHING THE SHELTER SHOULD STAND FOR. SHADOW CATS HELPS CONTROL THE FERAL POPULATION AND KEEPS CATS OUT OF THE SHELTER. THE RELATIONSHIP HAS BEEN SYMBIOTIC FOR A DECADE, BUT SUDDENLY THEY CAN'T WORK WITH THEM. WITH THE UPTICK IN RABIES IN HARFORD COUNTY, TNR SHOULD BE A SHELTER PRIORITY BECAUSE THEY FALL UNDER PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE SHELTER DOESN'T HAVE FULL TIME VETERINARIANS TO TAKE ON THE BURDEN OF DOING THEIR OWN TNR, DESPITE THEIR FACEBOOK COMMENTS. I'VE NEVER SEEN AN ORGANIZATION FIGHT SO HARD TO KEEP THE STATUS QUO WHEN THEY CAN IMPROVE SYSTEMS AND PROGRAMS WITH LESS EFFORT AND WITH MORE COMMUNICATION AND TRANSPARENCY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU MA'AM. CALL YOUR NEXT SPEAKER, PAMELA DEEMER, FOLLOWED BY GINA KRIEGER. GOOD EVENING MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. PAM DEEMER, 928 BERGEN COURT, BEL AIR, MARYLAND. I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE FUNDING FOR THE HUMANE SOCIETY. IT SOUNDS LIKE EVERYBODY'S SAYING THE SAME THING. THERE'S NO TRANSPARENCY THERE. WE OPPOSE ANY MORE MONEY GOING THERE WHEN IT SEEMS LIKE THERE ARE NOT MEETING THE BASIC NEEDS THAT NEED TO BE MET. SENDING SOMEONE TO LAS VEGAS FOR TRAINING AT A TIME WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR HAND OUT ASKING FOR MORE MONEY ALSO SEEMS LIKE A BAD LOOK AT BEST TO THE HUMANE SOCIETY. WHY NOT CHOOSE ONE OF THE MANY FREE OR CLOSE TO HOME TRAINING SEMINARS TO SUPPLEMENT, OR AT LEAST BEGIN YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF BEST PRACTICES FOR AN OPEN ADMISSIONS SHELTER? PLEASE AVAIL [00:25:03] YOURSELF OF AS MUCH TRAINING AS POSSIBLE AS NUMEROUS ACCOUNTS FROM FORMER STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS POINT TO YOUR NEW MANAGEMENT'S PRACTICE OF CONVENIENCE KILLING EUTHANIZING ADOPTABLE ANIMALS FOR SO-CALLED BEHAVIORAL REASONS, ALONG WITH CLAIMS OF NOT HAVING THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES OR MEDICAL CARE. WE NEED TO SEE WHERE THE MONEY IS BEING SPENT AT THE HUMANE SOCIETY. IT IS OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS. I REALIZE THEY DO FUNDRAISE ALSO, BUT THIS QUASI ARRANGEMENT THAT'S HAPPENING AT THE HUMANE SOCIETY, TAXPAYERS ARE STILL PAYING MONEY. THEY'RE TO SHELTER UPPER MANAGEMENT. PLEASE DO NOT POST PICTURES OF YOURSELVES RELAXING POOLSIDE WITH A DRINK WHILE TELLING THE PUBLIC YOU CAN'T AFFORD LIFE SAVING MEDICAL CARE FOR A GROUP OF ANIMALS. THIS IS ABOUT PRIORITIZING YOUR SPENDING AS YOU CLAIM TO BE IN THE RED. LIFESAVING CARE FOR ANIMALS, NOT A LAS VEGAS TRAINING SEMINAR IS YOUR MANDATORY MANDATED PRIORITY, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU CLAIM IT CAN'T AFFORD YOUR ELECTRIC BILL. IN ALL DUE RESPECT, THIS IS FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 101 TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. PLEASE GIVE AS MUCH MONEY AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN TO THE HUMANE SOCIETY. AFTER AN INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE IS ESTABLISHED TO REQUIRE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND HUMANE OPERATIONAL STANDARDS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO THE SAFETY OF OUR COUNTY'S HOMELESS PETS. THANK YOU. NAME AND ADDRESS PLEASE. MY NAME IS GINA KRIEGER, 704 CONLEY FARMS ROAD, FALLSTON, MARYLAND. GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. I'M A RESIDENT OF HARFORD COUNTY WHO, LIKE MANY IN OUR COMMUNITY, CARES DEEPLY ABOUT ANIMAL WELFARE AND RESPONSIBLE GOVERNANCE. I'M HERE TONIGHT TO RESPECTFULLY RAISE CONCERNS AND CALL FOR GREATER ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY IN THE OPERATIONS AND OVERSIGHT OF THE HARFORD COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY, PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO THE PUBLIC FUNDING IT RECEIVES EACH YEAR. A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS IS ALLOCATED TO THIS ORGANIZATION TO SERVE A CRITICAL FUNCTION IN OUR COMMUNITY THE PROTECTION AND HUMANE TREATMENT OF ANIMALS, BUT WITH PUBLIC FUNDING MUST COME PUBLIC PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE IS A GROWING CONCERN AMONG RESIDENTS, VOLUNTEERS AND ADVOCATES AT THIS. TRANSPARENCY IS LACKING. WE'VE SEEN REPORTS OF QUESTIONABLE EUTHANASIA PRACTICES, LIMITED ACCESS TO INTAKE AND OUTCOME DATA, AND VAGUE RESPONSES TO PUBLIC INQUIRIES. VOLUNTEERS HAVE RAISED RED FLAGS AND RESIDENTS HAVE ASKED FOR CLARITY. YET TOO OFTEN THOSE QUESTIONS GO UNANSWERED. AS A COMMUNITY PARTNER ENTRUSTED WITH PUBLIC FUNDS, THE HUMANE SOCIETY MUST BE MORE OPEN ABOUT ITS PRACTICES, ITS PERFORMANCE METRICS AND HOW IT'S STORED THE RESOURCES PROVIDED BY THE COUNTY. THIS IS NOT ABOUT OPPOSITION. THIS IS ABOUT PARTNERSHIP AND PROGRESS. WE BELIEVE IN THE MISSION OF THE HUMANE SOCIETY, BUT BELIEVE IS NOT A BLANK CHECK. WE ASK THAT FUTURE FUNDING BE CONTINGENT UPON CLEAR, PUBLISHED REPORTING ON LIVE RELEASE RATES, INTAKE AND EUTHANASIA NUMBERS, DETAILED FINANCIAL AUDITS, STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR INTAKE CARE AND DISPOSITION OF ANIMALS, AND A FORMAL PUBLIC GRIEVANCE PROCESS FOR RESIDENTS AND VOLUNTEERS. HARFORD COUNTY DESERVES A HUMANE SOCIETY THAT OPERATES WITH THE SAME COMPASSION, ETHICS AND OPENNESS THAT IT ADVOCATES FOR IN THE TREATMENT OF ANIMALS. TRANSPARENCY IS NOT A BURDEN, IT IS THE FOUNDATION OF TRUST. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, AND I RESPECTFULLY URGE YOU TO ENSURE THAT ANY PUBLIC FUNDING IS MATCHED WITH PUBLIC RESPONSIBILITY. THANK YOU. MA'AM, CAN I JUST ASK, IS THAT MEETING ON THE 27TH? IS THAT FOR THE PUBLIC OR JUST. IT'LL BE RIGHT HERE IN THESE CHAMBERS. MAYBE YOU CAN JOIN. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU. TIM VAN EMDEN, FOLLOWED BY WENDY MCPHERSON. GOOD EVENING, SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS TIM VAN EMDEN. LIVE AT 1963 MITCHELL DRIVE IN ABERDEEN, MARYLAND. I'M HERE TO TALK TO YOU TONIGHT ABOUT THE HEIGHT MONITORING SYSTEM THAT'S ESTABLISHED WITHIN THE BUDGET. BUT IT WAS ALSO WITHIN THE BUDGET LAST YEAR FOR LESS MONEY AND NEVER GOT IMPLEMENTED. THE WHAT WE'RE BEING TOLD NOW IS THIS YEAR IT WILL AGAIN NOT BE IMPLEMENTED. IT'S A PROBLEM. IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE. AND AT SOME POINT THE COUNTY IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE LIABLE FOR IT BECAUSE, AS I'M CERTAIN, COUNCIL VICE PRESIDENT AND COUNCIL PRESIDENT, ALL TO REMEMBER ALL TOO WELL. I'VE BEEN STANDING UP HERE COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS FOR YEARS. OTHER PEOPLE HAVE TO THE FACT THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE A PARTICULAR INDIVIDUAL IS ON RECORD WITH A I BELIEVE IT WAS A STATE PATROL OFFICER WHEN HE CALLED TO FILE A GRIEVANCE ABOUT TRUCKS ON THE ROAD. TELL HIM I TALKED TO YOU MORE THAN I TALK TO MY BOYFRIEND, BECAUSE YOU'RE COMPLAINING ABOUT THESE THINGS SO OFTEN. IT'S REALLY A PROBLEM, AND IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE, AND IT'S WITHIN THE FUNDING. IT'S ALREADY IN THE BUDGET AND IT'S WANTED BY THE CITIZENS. IT'S WANTED BY THE CITIZENS SO BADLY THAT AGAIN, COUNCIL PRESIDENT, COUNCIL VICE PRESIDENT, YOU WERE ON THE COUNCIL FOR THIS. WE PUSHED THIS FORWARD TO THE STATE. THEN SENATOR, STATE [00:30:05] SENATOR CASSIDY HELPED PUSH IT FORWARD AT THE BEGINNING. BUT THE GENTLEMAN IN DISTRICT F DID NOT HELP NEARLY AS MUCH AS THE INDIVIDUAL SITTING HERE. AND THE TWO INDIVIDUALS I MENTIONED EARLIER, EFFECTIVELY, ACCORDING TO OTHER PEOPLE, SAT IN A CORNER, POINT ASIDE AND IRRELEVANT, THIS HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT'S PUSHED BY THE CITIZENS AND WE'RE NOW BEING TOLD, WELL, IT'S IN THERE, BUT WE HAVE NO INTENTION TO FUND IT. BASICALLY, WHAT I'M HEARING AS A TAXPAYING RESIDENT IS MY SAFETY. THE SAFETY OF MY KID DOESN'T MATTER TO THE COUNTY WHETHER THAT, AND I KNOW THAT'S NOT TO BE THE CASE, BUT THAT'S THE MESSAGE THAT'S BEING SENT. THIS NEEDS TO BE RECTIFIED BECAUSE AS I SAID, WE'VE BEEN HERE COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS FOR YEARS, NOT JUST TO THIS COUNTY COUNCIL, BUT TO HARFORD, BUT TO ABERDEEN CITY COUNCIL, TO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE. ANYBODY WHO WILL LISTEN. AT WHAT POINT DOES THE COUNTY BECOME LIABLE FOR INJURIES? BECAUSE THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE. YOU HAVE IT IN YOUR BUDGET AND YOU'RE AND NOTHING'S GETTING DONE ABOUT IT. JUST FOOD FOR THOUGHT. AND I TRULY HOPE THIS WILL GET FUNDED BECAUSE THIS IS NEEDED. AND HONESTLY, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WILL BRING IN INCOME. THIS WILL PAY FOR ITSELF. THE MAJOR SLOTS THAT HAVE BEEN NOTATED, PARTICULARLY ALONG THE ROAD, WHICH IS THE ONE I'M THE MOST FAMILIAR WITH. TRUCKS COME THROUGH THERE DAILY, MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY. YOU WILL MAKE THE MONEY BACK. I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE THE COUNCIL TO LEAN ON COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND GET THIS FUNDED, GET IT IMPLEMENTED, AND HELP THE CITIZENS WHO SO DESPERATELY NEED IT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, TIM. BEFORE YOU WALK AWAY, I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT COUNCILMAN BENNETT CONTINUES TO HAVE OPEN CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE. I'M VERY AWARE HE DOES, AS I'M CERTAIN YOU AND EVERY OTHER COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE DOES. MY COMMENTS TO YOU ARE NOTHING PERSONAL. IT'S JUST THIS IS THE OPEN FORUM. MORE IMPORTANTLY, I WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU ON YOUR UPCOMING BIRTH, YOUR NEW BABY. THANK YOU SIR. YES. THANK YOU. YOUR NEXT SPEAKER, WENDY MACPHERSON. GOOD EVENING MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS PLEASE. HELLO AGAIN. MY NAME IS WENDY MACPHERSON. I LIVE AT 1727 CRESSIDA COURT, FOREST HILL, MARYLAND. AND I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE HUMANE SOCIETY AGAIN. AS AN ANIMAL LOVER, I'M ABSOLUTELY IN FAVOR OF AS MUCH FUNDING AS POSSIBLE FOR HOMELESS ANIMALS, SUCH AS THE HUMANE SOCIETY, AND A DECENT WAGE FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WORK THERE. THE CURRENT PROBLEM IS THE MONEY TAKEN BY IN BY THE HUMANE SOCIETY IS NOT BEING PRIORITIZED TO THE ANIMALS. AS YOU'VE HEARD OTHER PEOPLE SPEAK. EXCUSE ME? THE HUMANE SOCIETY CLAIMS TO BE TO NEED AN ADDITIONAL $500,000, PRESUMABLY TO COVER THEIR SIGNIFICANT DEBT. IF GRANTED, THAT WOULD BE A TOTAL OF 1.8 MILLION TO AN ORGANIZATION THAT CLAIMS TO HAVE A 1.4 MILLION BUDGET. FISCAL YEAR 2023 REVENUE WAS OVER 3 MILLION, WITH EXPENDITURES IN EXCESS OF 2.4 MILLION. YET THEY CLAIM TO BE OPERATING AT A $600,000 DEFICIT. THE NUMBER SIMPLY JUST DON'T ADD UP, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AMANDA HICKMAN RECENTLY STOOD BEFORE THE COUNCIL, STATING THAT THEY EMPLOY FOUR VETERINARIANS. THE TRUTH IS, THE TOTAL HOURS OF THE FOUR VETERINARIANS BARELY ADD UP TO WHAT THE EQUIVALENT OF ONE FULL VETERINARIAN. SO IN FACT, THE CURRENT VETERINARY MEDICAL DIRECTOR HAS HAD HER WEEKLY HOURS CUT FROM 30 TO 20 HOURS IN ORDER TO SAVE MONEY FOR THE SHELTER TO OUR DEDICATED COUNTY COUNCIL. IF YOUR HANDS ARE SOMEHOW LEGALLY TIED IN YOUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT, HOW CAN YOU BEGIN TO CONSIDER THE WISDOM OF FULL FUNDING, LET ALONE AN INCREASE? YOUR CONSTITUENTS ARE INFORMING YOU OF THE FISCAL MISMANAGEMENT AND THE FINANCIAL SECRETS. SEE NO PUBLICLY SHARED FORM 990 FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024, WITH AN EXTENSION FILED. HUMANE SOCIETY TAX STATEMENTS ARE DUE TODAY, MAY 15TH, SO IT SHOULD BE AVAILABLE TO SHARE. OUR CITIZENS AND HOMELESS ANIMALS SHOULD NEVER HAVE TO FIND THEMSELVES HELD HOSTAGE, IN A SENSE, BY A PRIVATE GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HIDE BEHIND THE LEGAL CLAIM THAT THEY HAVE NO OBLIGATION TO PROVIDE TRANSPARENCY OR MEET ANY SET OF OPERATIONAL STANDARDS. I URGE YOU TO TAKE ACTION. PLEASE CONSIDER A RENEGOTIATION OF THE CURRENT MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE HUMANE SOCIETY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM. THE FINAL SPEAKER THIS EVENING IS JEAN SALVADOR. AND THERE WAS A LADY THAT SHOW RIGHT HERE. GOOD EVENING MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. HI, MY NAME IS JEAN SALVATORE. I LIVE AT [00:35:04] 2007 ROBERTS MILL ROAD IN BEL AIR. TWO 1015. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. I'M HERE TO SPEAK ALSO ON THE BUDGET AND THE HUMANE SOCIETY. AS I'VE SPOKEN BEFORE, I'LL BE REALLY BRIEF BECAUSE WE'RE ONLY TALKING MONEY HERE. WHEN THE HUMANE SOCIETY HAD THAT NEW SHELTER BUILT BACK IN 2015, $7 MILLION SHELTER THAT WE, THE TAXPAYERS, FUNDED, IT WAS WONDERFUL. AND WE HAD ALL NEW MANAGEMENT COME IN WITH NEW PLANS TO DO GREAT THINGS. THE BUDGET THAT YEAR FOR THE HUMANE SOCIETY. AND I KNOW BECAUSE I'VE BEEN TRACKING THIS FOR TEN YEARS, I NEED THE BUDGET INFORMATION FROM THEM IN ORDER TO END INTAKE INFORMATION ON ANIMALS, IN ORDER TO APPLY FOR SPAY NEUTER GRANTS THAT MY ORGANIZATION, SHADOW CATS TNR, DOES APPLY FOR. AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE SHELTER SINCE 2015, BACK WHEN WE WERE BEST FRIENDS IN HARFORD COUNTY TO BE THEIR TNR PROGRAM. PRIMARILY, OTHER PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY ALSO DO TNR, BUT WE'RE THE BIGGEST ORGANIZATION TO SUPPORT THAT EFFORT. SO BACK IN 2016, I BELIEVE, WAS THAT FISCAL YEAR NUMBER THAT I HAVE, THEIR AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THEY GOT FROM THE COUNTY WAS $750,000. THE REST OF IT THEY FUNDRAISED. SO HERE IN 2025, THEY'RE ASKING FOR $1.8 MILLION TO DO LESS INTAKE. AND I HAVE THOSE NUMBERS, AND THEY DON'T MATCH WHAT THEY'VE PUBLISHED ON THEIR WEBSITE. THE NUMBERS THAT WE TRACK THROUGH THE STATE, WHERE THEY REPORT THE INTAKE HAS GONE DOWN FOR CATS ALONE FROM 2045 CATS BACK IN 2015 TO 1450 LAST YEAR, AT THE SAME TIME THAT THEIR INTAKES GOING DOWN THEIR INCREASED THEIR STAFF FROM ABOUT 25 TO 45. EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE, THEY SAY, 250 VOLUNTEERS. SO SOMETHING AGAIN DOES NOT ADD UP. I RESPECTFULLY ASK THE COUNCIL TO FIND A WAY TO HELP THE PUBLIC SEE WHAT'S GOING ON THERE AND TO MAKE MONEY CONTINGENT UPON THAT. WE WANT AN EXCELLENT, EFFICIENT SHELTER TO CARE FOR OUR ANIMALS. THANK YOU, THANK YOU MA'AM. THERE ARE NO MORE SPEAKERS, MR. PRESIDENT. THANKS. I APPRECIATE THAT. SO I'M JUST GOING TO REITERATE THAT TODAY WE MET WITH THE HUMANE SOCIETY. COUNCILWOMAN IMHOFF, COUNCILWOMAN SORRELLS MYSELF. MISS ALLEGE, AND WE'VE ASKED THEM TO COME BEFORE US ON THE 27TH. THEY'LL BE IN THE CHAMBERS THAT EVENING. WE DID ASK SOME QUESTIONS, AND WE DID GET SOME ANSWERS. WE ALSO HAD GENE. WE HAD YOUR LATEST EMAIL TO US FROM THE MARCH THAT WE SHARED WITH THEM AS WELL. SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL WE'LL GET TO A BETTER PLACE AND WE'LL GET SOME ANSWERS. AND I'M SURE THAT A LOT OF THE GOOD THAT THEY DO MAY NOT BE SEEN AS WELL. SO I KNOW THERE'S GIVE AND TAKE EVERYWHERE. BUT FOR US THIS EVENING, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR COMING. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR INPUT. THIS WILL CONCLUDE OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR THE BUDGET. AND AT THIS TIME, WE'RE ADJOURNED. THANK YOU. MR. VINCENT. YES. ARE WE GOING TO BE ALLOWED TO ASK QUESTIONS ON THIS? NO, MA'AM, YOU WON'T BE. BUT WE'LL ASK QUESTIONS FOR YOU IF YOU PROVIDE THAT. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.