Fiscal Note
Historically, the City’s cat license fees have been updated to remain consistent with dog license taxes, requiring an ordinance or resolution each time the dog license tax is changed. The proposed ordinance sets the City’s cat license fee to be equal to the City’s dog license tax and avoids a separate action each time the dog license tax is changed.
Dane County has raised its portion of the unaltered dog license tax in 2026, which will increase the City’s unaltered cat license from $34 to $36. The revenue impact from the increased unaltered cat fee is expected to be negligible due to very few licenses being issued annually.
Title
Amending Section 9.31(2) of the Madison General Ordinances to set the City’s cat license fee as equivalent to the City’s dog license tax.
Body
DRAFTER’S ANALYSIS: This ordinance will update the City’s cat license fee so that it is equal to the City’s dog license tax. The City’s unaltered cat license fee has historically been set to be consistent with the City’s unaltered dog license tax, which tax, as established by MGO Sec. 9.50(2) and Wis. Stat. Sec. 174.05(3), includes a City portion and a County portion. The unaltered dog license tax is being increased in 2026 because Dane County has raised its portion of that license tax. Rather than requiring an ordinance or resolution each time the dog license tax is changed, including by the actions of the County alone, this ordinance will set the City’s cat license fee, for altered and unaltered cats, to be equal to the City’s dog license tax for altered and unaltered dogs.
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The Common Council of the City of Madison do hereby ordain as follows:
1. Subsection (2) of Section 9.31 entitled “Cat License” of the Madison General Ordinances is amended to read as follows:
“(2) Every owner of a cat more than five (5) months of age on January 1 of any year, or five (5) months of age within the license year shall annually, or within thirty (30) days from the date such cat becomes five (5) months of age, at the time and in the manner provided by law, pay a cat license fee and obtain a license therefore. Effective January 1, 20206, such cat license fee shall be equivalent to the City’s dog license tax, for altered and unaltered dogs, as established under Section 9.50(2). Different fees shall apply for each neutered male cat or spayed female cat upon presentation of evidence that the cat is neutered or spayed, and twenty-five dollars ($25) for each unneutered male cat or unspayed female cat, or one-half of these amounts if the cat becomes five (5) months of age after July 1 of the license year. The cat license year shall commence on January 1 and end on the following December 31.”