MOULTRIE, Ga. — The Moultrie-Colquitt County Humane Society’s board would be restructured under a plan developed by city and county officials.

If the plan is approved by all parties, the seven member board — to be appointed by Moultrie City Council and Colquitt County Commission — would become active on July 1.

The structure will mirror that of the joint city-count recreational authority, but will not be a formal authority as that body is.

“The city manager and I came up with a plan (to) offer some financial support plus require a little more structure in the management of the agency,” Colquitt County Administrator Chas Cannon said. “The city and county will have more of a say in the makeup, which will include the executive director.”

Under the plan the city and county each will appoint three members, with the seventh member alternating between a city and county selection. Each entity can appoint one member of its board, with the city manager and county administrator serving as non-voting ex-officio members.

Moultrie and the county have pledged to contribute $100,000 each per year as part of a contract for animal control services, such as picking up stray and vicious dogs.

Under the plan the new Humane Society board will appoint the executive director. It also authorizes that board to “appoint, select, and employ officers, agents, and employees and fix their respective compensation,.”

Cannon said the funding level of $100,000 will be an increase from the $70,000 in the current contract. The county also has been making some in-kind contributions such as upkeep on vehicles and also has helped with moving refurbished kennels to the Humane Society facility, located at 1412 First St. N.E.

County administrators were fielding calls from residents complaining about response time for picking up dogs, he said.

“It became clear that there was a lot of disagreement on how to move forward,” Cannon said. “About a year and a half ago the city and county felt that we ought to get more involved. The City Manager (Pete Dillard) and I came up with a plan.”

It was presented to the Humane Society board as an offer of how the two governments could help, he said.

The Humane Society board has voted to approve the proposal. Members of its board said Friday that the current board chairman will comment on the issue after the mid-April meeting with the County Commission.