Marion County is hoping to update interlocal animal service agreements across the county that have been in place for decades.
During the Tuesday, June 1 meeting of the Marion County Board of County Commissioners, Jeannie Rickman of Public Services indicated that the county is currently entered into animal services agreements with municipalities that call for specific criteria in the county’s management.
Rickman says the number of calls, number of responses, and cost in personnel, to name a few, are issues that need to be amended across the different cities in the county. Some of the agreements were created as long ago as the late 90s, with the most recent being 2009.
Rickman believes all of the agreements will need to be updated with information and “all the variances” that have occurred over the years that the county may need to consider.
The county will begin its discussions with Belleview before proceeding to Ocala and the other municipalities with agreements: Dunnellon, Reddick, and McIntosh.