PUEBLO–Management of the Pueblo Zoo are proposing a new sales tax to appear on the upcoming November general election ballot. Zoo directors claim the tax is necessary to establish a dedicated source of funding to keep its doors open.
The Pueblo Zoo is operated under a not-for-profit model by the Pueblo Zoological Society, while the City of Pueblo owns the land and infrastructure.
In 2024, the city trimmed $700,000 in taxpayer funding for non-profits to budget for 2025. Without that money coming in, the zoo’s main sources of income come from fundraising and earned revenue through admissions and events.
“In efforts to address continued funding issues, the Pueblo Zoo is seeking to propose a Sales Tax Initiative on the November Ballot,” the press release reads. “The City recognized the importance of the Zoo as an asset to the community and, while keeping ownership, agreed to continued support. The level of support is not guaranteed however, and in the face of its own financial challenges, the City has cut funding.”
Kyle Abner, president of the board of directors, says the zoo has already been operating on a tight budget for years now, and it can’t prop itself up anymore.
“The Zoo has been run on a very lean budget for decades”, said Abner. “We are extremely proud of what staff, board and donors have been able to contribute to our community over the years with hard work and at a bargain price. However, at some point, that level of cost cutting catches up.”
The zoo is proposing a 0.167% tax on retail sales, or just under 17 cents per $100 spent. The tax includes a sunset clause of five years, which can be put up for renewal.
Projected to raise $3.5 million annually, proponents say the tax would go to feeding the animals, habitat preservation, and overall facility upkeep.
Zoo leadership says if the sales tax fails in November, they will likely be shut down within two to three years.
Joshua Sharf, senior fellow in fiscal policy with Independence Institute, a free market think tank in Denver (and publisher of Complete Colorado) says that while zoos provide good educational value and fun, a higher tax is the last thing Pueblo needs.
“It should go without saying that I love zoos, and think bringing wildlife to people to see is critical in education about those animals, and in building support for their protection,” Sharf said, “It should also go without saying that additional taxes in a state where the burden has been skyrocketing because of waste and governments that see their citizens as endless, inexhaustible sources of money are a terrible idea.”
With Pueblo dealing with the loss of its power plant, Sharf says the sales tax likely won’t rake in what proponents claim it will.
“If the Pueblo Zoological Society can’t manage it fiscally, perhaps it should look to a for-profit model instead,” Sharf told Complete Colorado.
Zoo officials are awaiting city approval on petitions for signature collection. They will need 1,500 valid signatures to get the tax on the Pueblo ballot.
