Fulton County leaders vote to continue cutting off animal services to Atlanta
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - The Fulton County Commission meeting on Wednesday night became heated over a call to restore animal services in the city of Atlanta. It's an ongoing issue between the city and the county, and there's no resolution yet.
Back in October, Fulton County leaders gave a new intergovernmental agreement for animal services to the city of Atlanta and 14 other cities in the county. It included a price increase in part because of the new animal services facility and the increased costs to manage and service it, along with inflation. The City of Atlanta's cost jumped by about $6.5 million. Every city signed the agreement other than Atlanta. At the beginning of April, the Fulton County Commission stopped animal services in Atlanta city limits as a result.
Commissioner Marvin Arrington made a motion to immediately resume services to the city, citing three signed letters of intent the city had signed saying it was going to pay for the service. There has not been another city council meeting to take the necessary steps to sign the agreement yet.
"I just pray no one gets hurt. I just pray no one dies. Right is right and wrong is wrong, but life is life. Life is life. And this isn't about right and wrong, this is about saving lives. We operated without one from January to now. What's wrong with letting them have another council meeting?" Arrington said.
Other commissioners disagreed, saying it goes against the state constitution to operate a service in the city limits without a signed contract. They also say the city should have had a sense of urgency to get the matter resolved.
"What message are we sending mayors of other cities who did the right thing?" Khadijah Rahman, the vice chair of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, said. "Right is right and wrong is wrong. There should have been a sense of urgency and there wasn't. It is a liability issue."
"I do agree with Commissioner Arrington. It is, unfortunately, a public safety issue, but it is on the city to act upon that and eliminate that issue and execute this IGA, and we can all move on," Commissioner Bob Ellis said.
Ultimately, the motion to immediately restore service failed in a close four to three vote.
The mayor's office has previously called this political maneuvering, and a response to comments the mayor made about the state of the Fulton County Jail.
The city likely won't be able to get an agreement submitted before May 6 because of the city council process. In the meantime, residents with animal service issues are encouraged to call 311.
