The Columbus Zoo's $20M levy and $1 fight, explained
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Columbus Zoo and Aquarium finances are back in the spotlight with a levy on the ballot and a lawsuit against Liberty Township over a new ticket fee.
Why it matters: The zoo's first levy since a financial scandal sent three former leaders to prison was already high-stakes. But the suit — and the fee it hopes to block — could potentially add more pressure and public confusion.
Zoom in: Franklin County voters will decide Nov. 4 whether to renew a 10-year property tax that generates about $20 million, specifically for animal care.
- That's about a fourth of the zoo's overall budget, spokesperson Nicolle Gomez Racey tells Axios.
Meanwhile, Liberty Township trustees voted July 1 to add a $1 fee to zoo admission to help pay for fire and EMS services starting Aug. 30.
- A new state law allows townships to do this to "event venues" on tax-exempt land.
- The zoo has its own EMS, but the fire department also responds to emergencies. It was the township's third-most-visited address in 2024, with 87 runs costing around $297,000, Fire Chief James Reardon tells Axios.
The other side: Zoo leaders disagree with being characterized as a venue and sued the township on Aug. 6, asking a judge to block the fee.
Between the lines: The case revives a local conundrum — the Columbus Zoo isn't actually in Columbus, but on tax-exempt land in Delaware County that the city owns.
- The arrangement dates back to its origins as a municipal zoo. The city bought land for the nearby O'Shaugnessey Dam and set aside the location in 1927.
- The city funded the zoo until 1985, when voters first approved the levy.
- Franklin County residents pay the levy — and get admission discounts — while Delaware County agencies' infrastructure and services support the crowds.
Friction point: While the zoo receives property tax funding and its employees get state pensions, today it's a nonprofit, which blurs the lines of public transparency requirements.
- Case in point: The township doesn't know how much the $1 fee would generate, because the zoo hasn't told officials to it how many of its 1.8 million 2024 visitors were members and would be charged once annually.
What's next: The township must soon file a response to the zoo's complaint and a judge must decide whether to block the fee from taking effect. Meanwhile, the levy campaign is gearing up.