The Flathead County commissioners have turned down a proposal that would have combined dog licensing for the cities of Kalispell and Whitefish with the county licensing program.

County Health Administrator Joe Russell earlier this year had pitched the idea of having one government entity in charge of licensing dogs to make the program more efficient and allow the county to license more dogs. Ultimately the interlocal program would have raised more money for the county animal shelter.

Kalispell and Whitefish have their own dog license programs, but revenue from license fees is minimal. Last year Kalispell collected just over $1,200 in dog license fees, while Whitefish brought in $940. Flathead County brought in $14,138 in dog licensing fees last year.

Columbia Falls does not have a dog licensing program, though its police officers handle calls about vicious and barking dogs.

A consolidated dog licensing program would have allowed each city to continue to respond to dog-related calls. Kalispell has an animal warden, while Whitefish made arrangements with the county to handle animal control a few years ago.

A key benefit to an interlocal licensing program would be establishing a broader database of licenses that animal wardens can use with their laptops to quickly return dogs to their owners, Russell said. Dogs brought to the shelter are given a computer chip for tracking purposes.

Commissioner Gary Krueger said his concern was the connection between the licensing and enforcement.

“We [would be] administering a program that’s not equal across the county residents,” he said. “I don’t like unequal things.”

Krueger said he saw inequity in that county residents could be subject to a higher level of enforcement for dog licenses while the two cities may have a lesser degree of enforcement.

Commissioner Pam Holmquist said she, too, has concerns over the enforcement issue.

“I’m not in favor of the joint effort,” she said. “I’m not convinced this is the right step.”

Commissioner Cal Scott said he needed to study the proposal further, but he voted in favor of proceeding with the interlocal agreement. Holmquist and Krueger voted not to proceed at this time.

For the proposal to move forward, both the county and each city would need to adopt an interlocal agreement.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.