PHOTO BY BRENNA WHITE / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
PRICE INCREASE … The Williams County Auditor’s Office joined the Commissioner session to discuss raising the cost of dog tag licenses to $20.
By: Brenna White
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
brenna@thevillagereporter.com
The Williams County Commissioners increased dog license fees during their Tuesday, August 11, 2026, meeting as the county faces a projected deficit in the fund.
Auditor Vickie Grimm explained that revenue from dog licenses can be difficult to predict from year to year because residents can purchase one-year, three-year, or lifetime tags.
“If you look at the trend, it’s kind of all over the place. It’s a very difficult item to project because somebody could have bought a three-year tag, or a lifetime tag. Well, then we don’t have those sales going forward,” said Grimm.
So far in 2026, collections are “up about $1,400 for the year so far,” Grimm said. “We still have many expenses to go throughout the rest of the year.”
Current projections show the fund ending 2026 with a $19,500 deficit. The estimated 2027 budget shows that deficit potentially growing to $24,000.
The dog tag licensing fund currently has a cash balance of around $60,000, not including donations.
Grimm discussed the possibility of using those reserves before increasing fees, but doing so would only delay the issue.
Based on current projections, the county could face the same problem in three years while also having depleted its cash reserves.
Commissioners ultimately approved increasing the cost of a one-year dog license by $2, taking the current cost from $18 to $20. A formal resolution approving the increase is expected to follow during the Commissioners’ Thursday meeting.
In 2025, the county sold 4,202 one-year dog licenses. When three-year and lifetime licenses are included, a total of 5,064 licenses were sold during the year. For 2026, 4,946 licenses have so far been sold.
Commissioners also approved a $2 increase to the convenience charge collected by vendors who sell license tags, including Buckeye Veterinary Hospital and Town & Country.
Residents can avoid the additional vendor charge by purchasing their tags directly through the Auditor’s Office or Dog Warden.
“If people want to not pay that $2 (vendor fee), they can go to the Auditor’s office or the Dog Warden,” Commissioner Scott Lirot said.
In other business, Commissioners approved an amendment involving the Williams County Job and Family Services (JFS) Child Welfare Fellowship Project.
The original agreement was created to recruit, hire, and train college students to prepare them for work in the child welfare field. The project includes a $442,000 subgrant. The amendment extended the service dates through August 31, 2026.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:16 a.m. The next Williams County Commissioner meeting is scheduled for Thursday, August 13, 2026.