The City of Tucson showed its support of a proposed Zoo tax this week by submitting over 17,000 signatures to qualify for a spot on the ballot in the November election.
According to a press release from the Reid Park Zoo, The Future of Your Zoo Campaign aims to create more funds by authorizing a temporary one-tenth of one percent increase in Tucson's sales tax that'll be crucial to maintaining and improving the city's 50-year-old Zoo.
We are thrilled to turn in this large number of signatures, showing the support our community has for the Zoo. We had a lot of great volunteers who worked hard to make this happen, and are excited for the next phase of this campaign, said Nancy Kluge, Reid Park Zoological Society (RPZS) President.
The Zoo plans to improve its 75-year-old water and sewer and sewer infrastructure as well as upgrade several animal habitats.
With this initiative, the Zoo can complete its ten-year plan that includes:
- A larger tiger habitat featuring an interactive training window and overhead tiger pathways that intersect guest paths in addition to a breeding facility for these critically endangered animals.
- A darkened indoor Asian forest inside an interpretive pavilion housing animals like flying foxes, and reptiles like the rare Komodo dragon.
- Increased interactive opportunities, such as lorikeet and rhino feeding experiences, and an arboreal play space where guests can get eye to eye with endangered primates.
- A mixed species aquatic habitat, with an immersive boardwalk providing underwater views of animals including river hippos and Nile crocodiles.
Supporting the Zoo is about improving the quality of life for the animals we love – and the people who live here, Kluge said. This initiative lets us continually maintain and improve Tucson’s Zoo – making it a wonderful place that you, your friends and your neighbors want to return to again and again – and it helps to keep the Zoo amazing for generations of children to come. Residents agree - the time to take action is now. Not only will Tucson see a return on this investment, but this is the only fiscally responsible action we can take as a community.
