Grand Traverse County has posted two new part-time animal control positions, seeking to reinstate staffing to a department that was eliminated in December due to budget cuts.

The Ticker first reported in June that county officials planned to reinstate at least two part-time positions to help cover the gap in local services - particularly in the area of response to strays - left by the cuts. According to County Administrator Tom Menzel, the staff positions will be funded through revenues generated by dog license fees. While the county has decided not to increase those fees in 2016, fees could increase in 2017, according to an internal report. 

The county is hiring for one part-time animal control specialist and one part-time animal control officer. The position of animal control specialist has a listed hourly salary $10-$12.50 (or annual salary of $19,500-$24,375) and is an on-call/irregular hours position requiring a minimum high school diploma or GED. The position of animal control officer has a listed hourly salary of $13.86-$20.09 and is a regular part-time position requiring a minimum high school diploma or GED, plus an animal control officer certificaton (or the ability to obtain such certification within 90 days). Both positions require a minimum 1-2 years' experience working with animals, particularly animals in distress.