Toccoa-Stephens County Create Animal Control Position

Toccoa and Stephens County are moving towards making changes in the way animal control is handled in the county.

Both the city and county commissioners have talked about the issue in the past week.

At a retreat and meeting last Friday, Stephens County Commissioners voted unanimously to create the position of animal control officer.

 “This request would be to hire someone to report to our current marshal as Animal Control Officer and help (the marshal) with his current duties,” said  County Administrator Phyllis Ayers.

Currently, the county animal control officer works under the Toccoa-Stephens County Humane Shelter.

However in recent weeks, concerns have been raised over whether the current animal control officer has the authority to issue citations for animal control issues.

On Monday, Toccoa City Commissioners unanimously voted to move forward with the plan – pending final approval of an intergovernmental agreement.

Toccoa City Manager Billy Morse says that means the city would pick up about 1/3 of the cost.

Ayers said the county’s portion of the funding would be taken from the current funding for the humane shelter, since the humane shelter would no longer be handling animal control.

Morse said he expects that the city would do the same.

For the time being, Toccoa-Stephens County Humane Shelter Director Jeff Roberts says the person who has been serving as the animal control officer is responding to animal control calls where no investigation is required.