The Dallas County Commission chose to hold off on deciding which of two entities would receive county backing to run the animal shelter.

The current shelter, the Central Alabama Animal Shelter, has been in operation since the late 1980s. They submitted a budget proposal for $90,000 that included the salary for the animal control officer and use of the vehicle that picks up strays.

A budget submitted by a new group, the Humane Society of Central Alabama, is for $79,000, of which the city would provide $36,000. That includes building a new shelter on a new piece of property, said June Carter, a member of the group.

As of Monday, the group was incorporated and currently applying for non-profit status.

Bolton cited problems with funding for the current animal shelter plus the operations of the shelter as the reasons why the new group formed. He did not go into specifics.

Commissioner Kim Ballard agreed with Jones about seeing lower budgets. He pointed out that a new group can’t just eradicate the old without reason.

Commissioner Connell Towns said he would like to see a budget presentation from the Central Alabama Animal Shelter as well.

Bolton stressed that he was meaning no disrespect to the current operators of the shelter.

The budgets will be addressed again at the next commission meeting on Nov. 11

In other business, a group of concerned citizens from Carloville addressed the commission, saying they felt their rights were being violated.

Among the complaints were that blacks were being denied the right to join the volunteer fire department and that people were not allowed to use the restroom at the voting site in the town.

Towns said that he goes out there around once a month to address the concerns of the citizens.