Coun. Harvey Walsh's motion to table cat licensing under the Town of Olds' community standards bylaw was defeated on March 29.
Under Walsh's proposed amendment, references to cat licences would be taken out to allow administration to determine the costs of implementation to the town and pet owners.
Coun. Mary Anne Overwater was the only other councillor to vote with Walsh.
Coun. Debbie Bennett was absent from the meeting.
In his research, Walsh said cat owners could purchase a tag themselves for $15.
He had questioned the merits of cat licensing before at the Feb. 8 meeting, stating "we don't know how much, we don't know the regulations behind it ..." Administration said it was not asked by council to provide a business case for that section.
Coun. Wade Bearchell was one of four on council, including the mayor, to vote against Walsh's motion. He was ready to settle the debate.
Bearchell said discussion over cat licensing was not sprung on council at the last minute but had been ongoing for a while, and that Walsh had a chance to raise the issue then. He joked that his fellow councillor was filibustering.
The intent of this section of the bylaw was primarily to address animal safety, he said.
