Reid Park Zoo is presenting a petition to the City of Tucson Wednesday to raise Tucson's sales tax by one tenth of a percent. The zoo needs to collect 10,000 signatures over the next several months to get the tax hike on the November ballot.
The zoo is 50 years old, and it reported rusting guard rails and old sewer lines really need replacing. Critical infrastructure like this is not repaired or replaces, the zoo could lose its accreditation and therefore, its animals.
The tax increase will pay for new exhibits and animals too. Expansion would include: a new pygmy hippo exhibit; a tropical discovery center with tropical fish, primates and frogs; and a new and expanded tiger habitat to include a breeding area for the extremely endangered species
The tax would cost about 60 cents per month per person. If this passes in November, the increase could provide between eight and ten million dollars a year for the next ten years.
