Silver Lake Makes Donation After Pitch From Animal Welfare League
By Dan Spalding
InkFreeNews
SILVER LAKE – Number 13 proved lucky for John Lantz.
Lantz, board president for Animal Welfare League, has been making presentations to town councils and groups – and anyone who will listen – about the group’s strengths and needs. A presentation, including a video, with the Silver Lake Town Council Wednesday night, Oct. 12, marked the 13th community conversation.
And the council responded.
The discussion ended with the council quickly deciding unanimously to make a $500 donation to AWL.
“They’re the first ones to step up,” Lantz said afterward.
The welfare league takes in animals across much of the county and receives annual funding from Warsaw, North Webster, Winona Lake and Kosciusko County, but still needs to raise $2.8 million to pay off the cost of constructing its relatively new facility on CR 325E in Pierceton.
AWL is on track to pick up an additional 250 more pets this year than last year.
Locally, Lantz pointed out that AWL took in about 13 pets from Silver Lake in 2021. So far this year, that number stands at 22.
He said AWL is approaching its 25th year as a non-profit and is working hard to establish stronger ties in the community.
According to one report cited by Lantz, animal charities rank low in overall donations nationally.
“We’ve got a tough job in front of us. That’s part of why I’m going around to all the communities and sharing what we’re doing and that we need help,” Lantz said.
To learn more, check out AWL’s website.
In other matters, council held a public hearing on the 2023 budget. The proposed general budget of $731,900 is part of an overall spending plan with other sources such as motor vehicle highway funds that total $1.1 million. The current proposed tax rate would be 2.3446.
Council will vote at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 27 on whether to adopt the budget.
In another matter, Chief Deputy Officer Cody Mangun said he’s looking into whether it would be worthwhile to participate in a kayak rental service like the one recently established at two sites in the city of Warsaw.