Sec. 22-347. Use of license fees. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 22-347. Use of license fees. Within thirty days after receipt of the fees for dog licenses and tags, each town clerk shall deduct one dollar for each dog licensed, two dollars for each kennel license issued and fifty cents for each replacement tag issued and pay the balance to the town treasurer or other proper fiscal officer. Each town treasurer or fiscal officer, as the case may be, shall keep a separate dog fund account of all fees received from the town clerk, and all receipts from the municipal animal control officer and expended by said officer under the provisions of this chapter, and shall pay to the Commissioner of Agriculture, on September first of each year, fifty per cent of all moneys received from the sale of licenses prior to July first, or forty per cent of all such moneys if the town has made a survey of unlicensed dogs in accordance with the provisions of section 22-349, and include with such payment a statement of the number of licenses issued during such year. All moneys received from licenses sold after June thirtieth and all moneys received from the municipal animal control officer and all license fees returned to the town by the State Treasurer, at the request of the commissioner, under the provisions of section 22-348 shall be kept by the town treasurer or other fiscal officer in the separate dog fund account. The town treasurer or other fiscal officer shall, on the ensuing September first, send fifty per cent, or forty per cent as the case may be, of all license fees in such account to the commissioner, including any penalty fees collected pursuant to section 22-338. All payments to the commissioner shall be accompanied by an account thereof in a form prescribed by the commissioner and a copy of such account shall be sent to the commissioner. Upon the failure of any town treasurer or other fiscal officer to pay any amount due pursuant to this section, or any portion thereof, within forty-five days from its due date, the commissioner shall add interest of one and one-fourth per cent per month or fraction thereof on the amount unpaid per month or fraction thereof from the due date of such payment to the date of payment and a penalty in the amount of ten per cent of the amount unpaid or fifty dollars, whichever is greater. All funds in the dog fund account, except such funds as are to be sent to the commissioner, shall be used only for the compensation of municipal animal control officers, license certificates, tags, the construction and maintenance of dog pounds, the detention and care of impounded dogs in accordance with section 22-336, municipal animal control officer's equipment, dog supplies and such veterinary fees as are provided for by law or regulations and shall not be used for any other purpose except upon written approval of the commissioner. No fees paid into the treasury of the town for tags or licenses for dogs shall be paid back to the persons from whom they were collected.

      (1949 Rev., S. 3395, 3396; 1953, S. 1833d; 1957, P.A. 440, S. 6; 1963, P.A. 613, S. 18; P.A. 80-211, S. 2; P.A. 82-323, S. 6; 82-440, S. 2, 3; P.A. 85-289, S. 1; P.A. 91-59, S. 13; 91-131, S. 2, 4; P.A. 93-435, S. 51, 95; P.A. 01-62, S. 4; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(e); P.A. 04-189, S. 1.)

      History: 1963 act changed amounts to be deducted from receipts by town clerk from $0.35 to $0.50 per dog license and imposed $0.10 deduction for each replacement tag, added references to town "fiscal officer", replaced "dog fund license account" with "dog fund account", required payments to state treasurer on September first rather than August first, specified that payment cutoff date is June thirtieth and required statement of number of licenses issued and added provisions re payments to be rendered on moneys received after June thirtieth in each year and specified that funds remaining in local account may be used for warden's equipment, dog supplies and veterinary fees as well as other uses previously listed; P.A. 80-211 allowed use of funds retained locally for "detention and care of impounded dogs in accordance with section 22-336"; P.A. 82-323 doubled deduction from fees for dogs licensed and kennels licensed and raised deduction for replacement tags from $0.10 to $0.50; P.A. 82-440 deleted the provision that towns participating in regional dog pounds submit license fees to the state treasurer; P.A. 85-289 authorized towns to retain 60% of the fees provided a survey was made; P.A. 91-59 replaced reference to "warden" with reference to "municipal animal control officer"; P.A. 91-131 added interest and penalty provisions, effective July 1, 1991, and applicable to any assessment or payment due on or after that date; P.A. 93-435 made certain technical and grammatical revisions, effective June 28, 1993; P.A. 01-62 made a technical change for purposes of gender neutrality and placed control over moneys collected with the Commissioner of Agriculture, deleting or revising provisions re State Treasurer; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 replaced Commissioner of Agriculture with Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-189 repealed Sec. 146 of June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, thereby reversing the merger of the Departments of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective June 1, 2004.