Instead of raising the $9 fee to register a dog in Hamilton County, commissioners decided to instead go after the tens of thousands of scofflaws across the county who don't register their dogs.

Facing an estimated $150,000 deficit in the county's Dog and Kennel Fund, county Administrator David Krings recommended a $2-per-year increase for dog tags. That would have been a 22 percent increase, far below the 55-percent hike Krings had recommended in April.

Commissioner John Dowlin, saying he did not want the county's general fund to subsidize the dog account, supported Krings' recommendation - with the provision that officials find a mediator to create a better working relationship between the county auditor's office and the Hamilton County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

"It would take a mediator the likes of which solve the problems in the Middle East to bridge that gap," said Commissioner Bob Bedinghaus, who voted against any increase this year. To raise the fee would give county Auditor Dusty Rhodes an excuse for not being able to increase the number of licensed dogs, Bedinghaus said. Rhodes has predicted an increase would prompt fewer people to register their dogs.

With Commissioner Tom Neyer Jr. absent, Dowlin's motion failed. State law forced the commissioners to reach a decision on 2000 license fees by Tuesday.

Bedinghaus said he wanted to "put the pressure back on the SPCA and the auditor's office" to increase dog registrations. If they fail, "I will be prepared to support a larger increase next year," he said. "At some point, we need to figure out who's not doing the job here."

Chief Deputy County Auditor Roger Silbersack said most of the problem is caused by the commissioners' failure to require clauses in the county's annual contract with the SPCA that create incentives for the SPCA to cite more dog owners for having unlicensed dogs.

The SPCA, under increased public pressure from Rhodes, this year boosted its number of citations for unlicensed dogs by 91 percent, to 676 citations through July, without increasing its staff.

"This is their contractual arrangement. We're not part of it," Silbersack said of the county commissioners. "We have worked with the SPCA over the years, and will continue to do that."

Copyright 1999 The Cincinnati Post