CEDAR FALLS — The City Council has upheld the decision of Police Chief Mark Howard to euthanize a College Hill couple’s beloved pit bull after it viciously bit five people on different occasions over approximately two years.
Lyann and Chris Western, of the 1400 block of 18th Street, appealed the chief’s decision to put down the 80-pound, brown and white pit bull named Reese because of his belief that the dog is a danger to the public. The council agreed with the chief in a 6-0 vote Thursday during a meeting of the administration committee at the Public Safety Center. Councilmember Dave Sires was absent.
The City Council met as the administrative committee Thursday at the Public Safety Center to handle an appeal of Police Chief Mark Howard’s decision to euthanize a dog he determined to be dangerous to the public.
Chris Western noted afterwards, though, “we’re not done.” They plan to appeal to district court.
“We’re very sad and very disappointed,” said Lyann Western. Her husband muttered, “I was surprised it was unanimous.”
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The latest incident involving the 3 1/2-year-old pet came on Oct. 4 at a relative’s home in the 1300 block of Clark Drive. The dog went after a teenager biking on a sidewalk. Lyann Western was issued an “at-large dog” infraction.
A couple incidents described Thursday involved public safety officers, including one officer who was bitten at the front door of the couple’s home while investigating a suspicious vehicle. The first incident dated back to May 2021.
Reese had already been on a tight leash before the final straw on Oct. 4. Howard previously recommended the dog be euthanized and deferred to counsel’s advice to allow the dog to be released to the family due to certain circumstances and as long as several conditions were fulfilled.
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Chris Western blamed past issues at their residence on the fact that the couple had a doggy door they later got rid of as one condition of the agreement with the city.
He called the dog a “beloved member of the community” and brother to another pit bull named Riley. At least one person in the audience could be heard snickering at that remark.
It’s the third time Howard has ordered a dog be euthanized since taking the reins as the acting chief March 2022 and eventually becoming the head of the city’s police division.
Chapter 6 of city code gives the chief the authority to make the call, clearly not one he enjoys making, and it also outlines the process for appeal under the council’s purview.
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He twice made the recommendation to euthanize Reese.
In the summer of 2022, he made a similar recommendation when a pit bull attacked a Yorkie, leaving it in critical condition. The owner of the Yorkie decide to euthanize her own dog to put it out of its misery. The chief’s decision also was unanimously upheld by the council in August of that year.
Howard says calls of domestic animals attacking other domestic animals are becoming more common. He believes the complaints become frequent with owners now more likely to report the incidents because they “treat their pets like family.”
“I think we’ll see more and more of these cases,” he said of Thursday’s proceedings.
After the committee heard arguments from both sides, reviewed evidence and heard witness testimony in public session, the quasi-judicial body deliberated in closed session as is allowable under state law. The committee discussed the matter for less than a half hour before emerging to take the vote in public.
“These decisions are very difficult,” Councilmember Simon Harding, who chaired the meeting, said afterwards. “No one on the committee took it lightly. They weighed the facts and put a lot thought into their vote.”
At least two councilmembers expressed their sympathies about the decision to the couple afterwards. Harding wanted to share the reason for his vote but ultimately declined out of precaution because of deliberations having taken place in closed session.
Joint accounts are on the decline for couples
Joint accounts are on the decline for couples
Despite the rise of living alone in the 21st century, most households in the United States are still led by a married couple, according to recent U.S. Census Bureau data. But household finances are anything but homogenous in 2023, as more couples are keeping most, if not all, of their finances separate. In many cases, that includes their debts as well.
Experian analyzes the details behind why the average number of joint credit accounts among couples has slowly declined over the past decade.
Number of joint credit accounts per couple is on the decline
Joint credit accounts are still commonplace, according to Experian data, but they aren’t as prevalent as they were in previous years.
Technically, any two or more people can be part of a joint account, but many of those who share one or more joint debt accounts are in a relationship. For example, couples represent the vast majority of borrowers for mortgages, the type of debt that comprises the largest chunk of consumer debt balances by far. According to National Association of Realtors data, married and unmarried couples account for a combined 71% of mortgage borrowers.
In this analysis, “couple” refers to any pair of people who share a joint account. Data shows the average number of joint accounts has slowly declined over the past near-decade, from an average of 1.47 credit accounts per couple in 2014 to 1.2 credit accounts per couple in the second quarter (Q2) 2023. Meanwhile, the average number of accounts for individuals over the same period increased, from 4.97 accounts to 5.35 accounts.
Boomers and Gen Xers lead the generational pack
Younger generations have fewer joint accounts than most of their elders in 2023, according to Experian data. The generation most reliant on joint accounts is the baby boomers, who have 1.36 joint accounts per couple—well above the 1.20 average for all couples.
Each successively younger generation has a lower average number of joint accounts, with the average for Generation Z, who are aged 11 to 26, being less than 1. This gap could be explained simply by the fact that members of Generation Z are less likely to be married or own a home compared with more established generations.
Also of interest are the differences in averages between baby boomers and Generation X. Although baby boomers have a somewhat higher average number of shared credit accounts, Gen Xers have more individual accounts but share fewer of them.
Mortgages make up the lion’s share of joint account types
As it turns out, a couple’s preference for joint accounts may have less to do with differences in age or generational attitudes toward finances than having a mortgage.
What’s so special about mortgages that couples often apply jointly?
Many couples rely on both partners’ credit history and income to demonstrate to lenders that they’re creditworthy and have the ability to make monthly mortgage payments. As both home prices and mortgage rates continue to increase, that’s even more essential for most couples. Two incomes, if applicable, can make the difference in keeping a couple’s debt-to-income ratio lower than it might otherwise be with a single applicant.
Of course, other factors, like credit scores of each applicant, also play a prominent role. Usually, lenders will consider and use the lower score between the two applicants in making a credit determination on a joint mortgage application.
Joint credit account holders have higher average credit scores
The credit scores of those with at least one joint account are relatively healthy. As of June 2023, the average FICO Score of this group was 718, slightly higher than the overall national average FICO Score of 716. Those without at least one joint account have an average FICO Score of 706. In addition, delinquency rates are lower for those with at least one joint account.
Multiple incomes may allow couples to obtain larger mortgages that either person on their own wouldn’t be able to afford. From the lender’s perspective, having two incomes and two creditworthy borrowers means a built-in redundancy, so there’s less chance of the mortgage becoming delinquent. And while couples combining their mortgage, credit cards and other loans won’t automatically improve their credit scores, it could help build one partner’s credit history if they don’t already have an extensive history using credit.
Joint accounts more common in Midwestern states
Many rural states, especially in the northern half of the continental U.S., have a higher average number of joint accounts than other states. However, even more populated states like Minnesota and Wisconsin also have more joint accounts on average.
These differences could be related to a number of factors. States with more joint accounts generally have higher average FICO Scores than the rest of the nation, meaning that people living there may be more likely to be able to obtain credit, joint or otherwise, than others. They may also have higher homeownership rates than other parts of the U.S., which, as we’ve previously established, is a primary draw for joint accounts. In addition, lower migration rates into and out of many of these states may mean more established roots. Finally, there may be a social dimension as well, as divorce and separation rates may be lower than in other regions of the U.S.
The number of joint accounts will likely continue to decline until home sales rebound
Because the average number of joint accounts was declining even during the relatively healthy mortgage market of the 2010s, there’s no reason to expect the decline in the number of joint accounts to reverse anytime soon. Home sales are on track to be at their lowest levels since 2005, according to data from the National Association of Realtors.
Eventually, however, the next generation of homeowners—Generation Z—will be tying knots more frequently. The median age of a first marriage is 29.2 years of age, according to the Census Bureau. So there may be a lot more wedding invitations going out in three years, when the eldest of Gen Z reach that age. Hopefully by then, the housing market won’t be as barren.
Methodology: The analysis results provided are based on an Experian-created statistically relevant aggregate sampling of our consumer credit database that may include use of the FICO Score 8 version. Different sampling parameters may generate different findings compared with other similar analysis. Analyzed credit data did not contain personal identification information. Metro areas group counties and cities into specific geographic areas for population censuses and compilations of related statistical data.
This story was produced by Experian and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media.
