DEMOREST, Ga. — The Demorest City Council postponed action Tuesday on a proposed amendment to its animal control agreement with Habersham County, opting to seek additional information on the financial impact and county call data before making a decision.
The council unanimously tabled the first amendment to its intergovernmental agreement for the administration and enforcement of animal control provisions until its Sept. 1 meeting.
The proposed amendment is one of several being considered by municipalities across Habersham County following changes affecting how animal control cases are handled in court.
If approved, animal control citations issued within Demorest would be heard in the city’s municipal court rather than Habersham County Magistrate Court. Demorest would retain fines and fees collected through those cases, while restitution associated with sheltering and caring for animals would continue to be paid to the county.
City Manager Mark Musselwhite told the council he still has questions about whether the revenue generated through municipal court would offset the city’s increasing cost of contracting with Habersham County for animal control services.
According to Musselwhite, Demorest paid about $13,500 for county animal control services in 2024, $16,000 in 2025 and is budgeted to pay $17,500 this year.
“Fines and fees could stay with each municipality, but does that offset the short cost? Can’t answer that at this point in time because those are some questions that I’ve asked,” Musselwhite said.
Musselwhite also questioned statistics provided by Habersham County showing 104 animal control cases within Demorest during the county’s 2025-26 fiscal year.
The report included 57 dog cases, 37 cat cases, two involving fowl and six involving wildlife. It also showed 41 animals entering the Habersham County Animal Shelter from Demorest, three citations issued and 25 emergency calls.
“I question just the reality and the perception,” Musselwhite said. “Can we really have 104 cases handled by animal control” within the city’s 2.2 square miles?
He emphasized that he was not disputing the county’s figures but wanted a better understanding of how the numbers were compiled, particularly after-hours and weekend calls routed through 911.
“I’m just having a hard time understanding this many calls,” Musselwhite said.
Musselwhite said he has asked county staff to provide additional documentation supporting the reported activity and suggested delaying action until Habersham County Manager Tim Sims could attend the council’s Sept. 1 meeting to answer questions directly.
“I’ve asked them to back them up just so I can understand,” Musselwhite said.
No council members spoke in favor of or against the proposed amendment before voting unanimously to table the item.
Habersham County has asked each municipality to consider the amended agreement. Last month, Alto approved the amendment, while Mount Airy also postponed action to seek additional information from county officials.
The Demorest City Council is expected to revisit the agreement during its Sept. 1 meeting after receiving additional information from the county.
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