Muncie mayor plans closing of animal shelter

Muncie’s mayor says she’s planning to close the city animal shelter because budget cuts would leave it understaffed.

The City Council on Monday declined Mayor Sharon McShurley’s request that it reconsider a decision to eliminate one
of two full-time animal control officers next year. Under a union contract provision, that job cut would cause the firing
of five part-time workers and leave the shelter with two staffers to oversee about 75 animals.

Delaware County
attorney Mike Quirk said some city and county officials were talking about ways to keep the shelter open.

But McShurley
said her office had not been involved in those talks and that she was moving ahead with plans to close the shelter at year’s
end.