Push for more funding at PS Animal Shelter denied
The Palm Springs City Council finalized the 2015-2016 budget at tonight’s meeting, voting to add funding to many of the city’s flagship events like Modernism Week and the Palm Springs International Film Fest.
One request for additional funding, however, didn’t get enough votes.
Mayor Steve Pougnet, who did attend this week’s meeting, and council woman Ginny Foat were the only members of council who voted to increase the city’s funding to the Palm Springs Animal Shelter.
According to city manager David Ready, the city gave $1,209,971 to the shelter in 2014-2015, and was budgeted to give $1,194,410 this fiscal year.
Last week, Foat spoke in favor of raising the city’s contribution by $180,000 per year, as the shelter requested. The money would go to adding an additional trainer, a counselor and staffing the facility overnight.
Foat serves as the treasurer for Friends of Palm Springs Animal Shelter, the non-profit that runs the facility.
Mayor Pougnet made a motion to approve just over half of the shelter’s request, $91,000 to fund overnight staffing.
Mayor Pro Tem Paul Lewin, and council members Rick Hutcheson and Chris Mills voted against the increase.
During public comment several people expressed they were not happy the decision.
“In order to continue to offer the level of care that we are providing the animals and to continue to be a model of a no-kill shelter in this valley, we need extra funding,” said Alicia Bailey who serves on the Board of Directors for Friends of Palm Springs Animal Shelter.
At last week’s city council meeting some people spoke against giving the shelter more funds, saying that homeless services don’t get enough money from the city.
Tonight, city council voted to increase funding to Well in the Desert, which provides food and emergency services to the homeless, from $16,000 to $24,000.
