Mat-Su Assembly approves animal control takeover, tax shift for city residents

PALMER — The Mat-Su Assembly voted this month to shift all animal services and rules across Mat-Su to borough control starting this summer, a step that could boost property taxes for Houston, Wasilla and Palmer residents.

The move spreads the cost of the borough’s animal shelter system and patrol staff across all Mat-Su property taxpayers. It raises borough service bills for city residents, and lowers what’s passed on to the rest of Mat-Su. It also ends the patchwork of laws and contracts that governed animal oversight within city borders.

The borough will take over all city animal services on July 1, according to the measure, and all animal control across Mat-Su will fall under borough law.

The Assembly unanimously approved the update during a meeting Tuesday.

Now-former Houston Mayor Carter Cole requested the change to simplify enforcement in that area, Borough Manager Mike Brown said last year. The Wasilla City Council and Palmer City Council approved resolutions supporting the change late last year; the Houston City Council approved a similar measure last month.

Under the shift, all Mat-Su residents will contact the borough’s shelter near Palmer for help with any animal needs, including loose or missing pets and abuse, neglect, or dangerous animal cases. Houston residents will no longer use a city-owned shelter at the fire department, while Wasilla and Palmer residents will no longer need to access services by first contacting their police departments, officials said.

The change could increase property taxes for the 18,000 residents of Palmer, Houston and Wasilla by about $23.60 per $100,000 of assessed value by shifting the costs for the service to Mat-Su’s areawide tax bill paid by all residents, according to a borough fact sheet.

It could decrease the total non-city resident tax bill by about $4.80 per $100,000 because it removes the calculation from the non-areawide rate, which is paid only by those outside the cities.

The update removes the burden of animal enforcement from Wasilla, Palmer and Houston, which lack the time, personnel and facilities to do the job well, city officials said.

It also enables the borough to simplify how it pays for shelter and enforcement services by eliminating three contracts that give the borough some authority over city animal matters but do not cover all costs.

The measure follows decades of debates and challenges regarding animal control in the region. It marks the first time all three cities simultaneously sought to shift the responsibility to the borough.

Final costs and total borough tax rates for the service will be calculated as part of the borough’s annual budget process this spring.

-- Contact Amy Bushatz at contact@matsusentinel.com