County to Review Animal Control Costs

Ventura County officials will be taking a close look at animal control services to see if another agency could provide those services for less money, a move that could lead to the demise of the county’s Animal Regulation Department.

The recommendation was prompted, in part, by Simi Valley and Moorpark’s considering a break from the county agency to contract with Los Angeles County. Camarillo and Fillmore are waiting to see what those cities do before considering similar moves.

The city of Thousand Oaks left the county system five years ago and signed on with L.A. County.

Cities share the cost of animal regulation based on population. So if one city leaves, the others must make up the difference.

The county Board of Supervisors will decide Tuesday whether to allow animal control officials to gather bids for providing animal control services.

“I’m sorry the larger cities are looking at pulling out--I think there are benefits to sticking together and looking for ways to make the system work within our own county,” Supervisor Kathy Long said. “I just hope L.A. is not playing a shell game where they low-ball the cost to get the cities in the door and then . . . they’ll start seeing increased costs.”

The Simi Valley City Council is expected to decide June 23 whether to pull out of the county system. That city pays the county $250,000 each year for licensing, rabies control and animal shelter.

Contracting with Los Angeles County could save Simi Valley about $50,000 a year. But it also would saddle Ventura County government and the remaining cities with the bulk of the $2.3-million annual cost of providing those state-mandated animal control services.

Ventura, for one, would see its annual bill rise from $294,000 to $362,000 if Simi Valley leaves. Camarillo would see an increase of about $50,000.

“The issue is whether L.A. County would be willing to make bids on the remaining cities that animal regulation is serving,” said Camarillo Councilman Kevin Kildee, who is also on the county’s Animal Regulation Commission.

“You have to keep in mind that they service Chatsworth and 45 other [communities] in L.A. County,” Kildee added. “They have their own vehicle fleets and can share costs with that many cities.”

In Ventura County, bids will be accepted from anyone willing to provide service, said Kathy Jenks, animal control department director.

Jenks acknowledged that if an agency can provide services for less money, it could mean the end for her department.

“It’s a bit unusual for a bureaucrat to be dismantling their own organization, but I’d like to think I’m much more than a bureaucrat,” Jenks said. “If my only issue was my paycheck, then I have no business being in this job. The animals have to come first, then service to the citizens and thirdly, savings to the taxpayers.”