Fulton County restarted animal control inside Atlanta city limits as soon as county commissioners unanimously accepted an intergovernmental agreement with the city last Wednesday, Atlanta’s Deputy Chief Operating Officer LaChandra Burks told Atlanta City Council members on Monday.
That came after a 12-day halt to county animal control within Atlanta, as county commissioners demanded approval of a new 5-year agreement. All 14 other cities within Fulton County had already ratified new agreements, paying much higher prices than in the previous contract. The old agreement expired Jan. 1.
Last week Atlanta City Council passed a resolution approving the new deal, which requires the city to pay $6.5 million for the service annually, according to commission Chair Robb Pitts’ office.
“Immediately after it was adopted, the services were restored back to the city of Atlanta,” Burks told Atlanta’s Public Safety Committee.
County officials said at last Wednesday’s meeting they were ready to resume service immediately through their nonprofit contractor LifeLine Animal Services.
On Monday city council members considered an ordinance that would also pay for animal control provided from Jan. 1 to April 5, when the county cut it off. County Attorney Y. Soo Jo told county commissioners that providing service without a contract left the county open to liability.
During the cutoff period, Atlanta residents were instructed to call 311 to report animal issues. But since Wednesday afternoon, they can again call the regular number for county animal control: (404) 613-0358.
The annual bill to Atlanta is greater than any other city in the county, and more than twice what it was under the old contract. County officials said the new rate is based on actual cost of service, and that Atlanta accounts for more than half of all animal control calls. Charges had not increased for five years although actual costs had risen, meaning the county and LifeLine subsidized the service until the new deals went into effect, according to the county.
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