White County Board of Commissioners held a meeting Oct. 21 that became a platform for community member John Maas to voice his deep concerns about the animal shelter’s dire conditions. He became very passionate during his time at the microphone to address the county’s commissioners with many in attendance vocalizing their support for Maas as he highlighted what he described as a pressing need for immediate action.
“I’ve had several county commissioners ask me if the sheriff’s department pay is more important than the animal shelter. Are they a more vital role than the animal shelter in our communities?” Maas opened his remarks by questioning the board’s priorities, particularly in light of the ongoing struggles at the animal shelter.
He went on to discuss a $70,000 restricted donation that had been designated for the shelter. Maas expressed frustration at the lack of transparency and action regarding these funds, stating, “To date, not one dime has been spent on food, shelter, or care of even one animal. Not one dime, not one animal.”
He emphasized the legal ramifications of this inaction, quoting a section in Tennessee Code Annotated which outlines the statute of limitations on misappropriation of county funds and stated the county was going to be forced to make some decisions quickly.
“We’re quickly approaching that deadline,” Maas claimed. “A declaratory judgment must decide if this restricted donation is in fact restricted or unrestricted.”
Maas detailed the specific needs of the shelter, painting a grim picture of the current conditions at the facility.
“For the last several years, our animals don’t have heat at the shelter, they don’t have walls,” he said. “Five kennels don’t even have a roof.”
He explained that he had raised $7,000 privately to comply with the Animal Welfare Act of 2023 and requested the board to allocate an additional $5,000 from the donation to install heating and improve the facility.
“We’re not waiting for Mike Sparks (the county’s animal control officer) to implement his brand-new heat plan,” Maas said. “I don’t even have an estimate on Mr. Sparks’ heat plan, but it’s going to be six times what I’m asking.”
Maas continued, “Half the plan has already been implemented. We’ve already got all the walls up. All we want to do is put the heat in next Saturday and Sunday, and we’re done. It’s a $5,000 request to get that all done. Plain and simple, it’s been sitting in this man’s desk for a month,” he stated, directing his frustration at the county’s executive, Denny Wayne Robinson, for the lack of action.
Another audience member, a volunteer from the White County Humane Society, lent support to Maas’s cause by urging the commissioners to focus on the shelter’s mission rather than personal feelings.
“I’m a member of the White County Humane Society, and I also volunteered this week at the shelter. Think about the dogs. Think about the shelter. Think about the reputation of White County,” she said, emphasizing the need for a collaborative effort to improve the shelter’s conditions.
After hearing Maas’s presentation, commissioner T.K. Austin emphasized the importance of adhering to proper procedures when addressing funding requests and made a motion to send the request to Steering Committee B for further review.
“There is a process and there’s a way that things need to happen. Just going and doing it is not the way you do it,” he stated. “When we’re talking about taxpayer dollars and something that’s a government-run facility, we have to make sure that things go through the proper channels.”
Despite the urgency expressed by Maas and his supporters, commissioner Becky Golden acknowledged the logistical challenges that have hindered progress.
“It’s not that we don’t want to,” she said, stating that despite Maas saying a plan had been sent to the county executive’s office, the commissioners had yet to see it, and they couldn’t vote on something they don’t have enough information about. “Unfortunately, it’s just going to have to wait another month.”
The board ultimately decided to send Maas’s request to the Steering Committee for further review, with a motion passing with 11 votes in favor, 1 pass (Chris Brewington), and two absent.
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