Voters will get the choice to extend the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden's property tax levy when they go to the ballot box Nov. 7. But even if voters renew the levy, the zoo won't get as much as it initially hoped.
The existing .46 mill levy up for renewal costs homeowners about $9 per year per $100,000 of valuation on their homes and raises about $7.3 million for the zoo. The levy has been in effect since 1982 and was last raised in 2008.
Zoo Vice President of Marketing and Visitor Experience Chad Yelton says the money goes toward basic functions. Forty years ago, the levy covered 40% of those operational costs. Now it covers about 17%.
"The levy funds are only used for the ongoing basic zoo needs," he says. "That includes veterinary care, animal food, animal care staff, maintenance and utilities. It doesn't cover big capital changes or anything outside that scope."
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Yelton says like everyone else, the zoo has felt the crunch due to inflation. Expenses covered by the levy have gone up 79% since the last hike 15 years ago.
"There's a need to fill that gap," Yelton says. "Unfortunately, we're not on the ballot with an inflationary increase, we're on the ballot for a renewal, which we're still excited about."
Hamilton County commissioners cited the increased tax burden on property owners as the reason for declining to put either the zoo's requested .57 mill hike or a smaller .48 mill increase on the ballot. Recent past levies from Preschool Promise, Cincinnati Public Schools, the library, the county's parks system and other county services have put a strain on taxpayers, they argued.
Also in the equation: increased property valuations for many property owners in the county.
"We're getting ready to have assessments where people's property values are gonna go up, meaning their property taxes are gonna go up," Commission President Alicia Reece said when voting against the additional levy back in August.
Commissioners also pointed to a report by consultants Howard, Wershbale and Co., which found that while the zoo is a careful steward of its finances, including tax dollars, it could also weather the coming years without additional tax revenue due to strong admissions revenue and other funding sources.
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"The result of our analysis indicates that even if operating results decrease from current levels and the current levy is renewed without an increase, cash flows are expected to remain positive. This is an indication the current financial outlook does not support an increase to the levy," the report states.
The zoo saw 1.73 million visitors in fiscal year 2023, according to the consultant's report, a rebound from a sharp dip during the pandemic.
Ohio's general election is Nov. 7. The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 10. Early voting begins Oct. 11. More on early voting opportunities at the Ohio Secretary of State's website here.
Zoo levy ballot language
PROPOSED TAX LEVY (RENEWAL) HAMILTON COUNTY
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A Majority Affirmative Vote is Necessary for Passage
A renewal of a tax for the benefit of Hamilton County, Ohio, for the purpose of providing and maintaining zoological park services and facilities that the county auditor estimates will collect $7,542,000 annually, at a rate not exceeding forty-six hundredths (0.46) mill for each $1.00 of taxable value, which amounts to $9.00 for each $100,000 of the county auditor’s appraised value, for five (5) years, commencing in 2023, first due in calendar year 2024.