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One of the items on the ballot in Grand Traverse County will be an operating millage to fund Animal Control. 
When fully staffed, Animal Control has three officers on duty, and they not only respond to stray dogs complaints, but also assist the Sheriff’s Office, fire departments, and EMS on a regular basis. Supervisor Jamie Croel says, “We generally have nearly 1,000 complaints that we serve every year at Grand Traverse County. We bring in 200-300 dogs. A lot of those are reunited to their owners. But the ones that are not are transferred over to the Humane Society for adoption.”
The millage request may be relatively small by some standards: $3.70 cents per year on every $100,000 in taxable value. But Animal Control says it’s much needed. “It sponsors the entire Animal Control program. It allows us to be out there and help the animals. We work in conjunction with the Humane Society and try to rescue as many of them as we can that need help. And educate the citizens as well,” Croel says.
“Not only do we pick up loose dogs but we investigate the abuse and neglect and everything in between.” That includes the situation at the beginning of this year where more than 150 dogs were rescued from a single home. Croel says, ”We obviously had the large case at the end of January with 163 dogs rescued. We do run across those from time to time, obviously that’s some extreme high numbers. But it’s nothing for us to run across 30 animals like Leelanau County is dealing with right now. We want to be able to be here to help those animals alongside the Humane Society.
GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL AGENCY MILLAGE PROPOSAL
This proposal is for the purpose of authorizing a new additional millage to fund the animal control programs, facilities, personnel, and necessary expenses for the Grand Traverse County Animal Control Agency in the amount of 0.037 mills. The estimated cost for a residential parcel with a taxable value of $100,000 would be $3.70 per year. Shall the limitation upon the total amount of taxes which may be levied against all taxable property within Grand Traverse County be increased, and shall Grand Traverse County be authorized to levy and collect up to and including 0.037 mill ($0.037 per $1,000 of taxable value) for a period of six (6) years, 2022 through 2027 inclusive for the purpose of funding animal control programs, facilities, personnel and necessary expenses of the Grand Traverse County Animal Control Agency? If approved and levied in full, this millage will raise an estimated $236,190 in the first calendar year of the levy. By law, tax increment revenues from this millage will also be distributed to governmental units within Grand Traverse County that capture property taxes, which are the City of Traverse City Downtown Development Authority, Grand Traverse County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, Village of Kingsley Downtown Development Authority, Village of Fife Lake Downtown Development Authority, and Interlochen Downtown Development Authority.
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