Kane County looking to clean up animal control with new director

Kane County Board members unwilling to hire an animal control director with a six-figure salary a few months ago decided this week a big salary is warranted if it results in big savings.

The salary and job description of the county's animal control director entered the spotlight earlier this year when former Director Mary Lawrie resigned following a suspension for undisclosed reasons. When board members began to dig into the department's operations, members of a special task force and subcommittee found overblown expenses, secret raises and an overall lackluster performance.

Key to that problem was a job description for the director that resulted in only one applicant, Lawrie, when the position was last advertised in 2007, board members said. Now there is a new job description that calls for a combination veterinarian/administrator to lead the department for the first time. That may also involve performing the majority of animal surgeries, such as spaying and neutering, instead of contracting those services out as the county currently does. Such an upgrade in service may require a building expansion at the animal control facility to accommodate a full surgical suite.

Overall, the new job description is a four-page document of skills the county will seek in the new director. It's an in-depth description that county board Member Tom Van Cleave said might go too far in terms of the department's finances.

“I'm not getting into micromanaging and getting into that much detail,” Van Cleave said.

Board member Jackie Tredup agreed a hands-off approach is best, but only when the department leader can be trusted.

“I like your words, but that was our complaint — that we didn't know where all this (money) was going,” Tredup said.

Board member Melisa Taylor said the department is worthy of extra scrutiny in the short term because of the disarray the operation is in.

“In the past couple months we've been put in a position where we've got to micromanage,” Taylor said. “That department, in my opinion, has not been as effective as it could be. It's the administrator's job, the veterinarian running animal control, whose responsibility it is to micromanage that department.

“That hasn't been the case. Therefore, I want to make sure that in this job description it's not just cats and dogs and playing with them every day; it's also about the dollars going in and out of the building.”

Subcommittee members agreed a more effective and better-qualified department leader will result in significant cost savings. They agreed to a salary range between $80,000 and $105,000. The previous salary range was $75,000 to $95,000, but the position did not require a veterinarian background.