What 'yes' or 'no' vote means for Columbus Zoo's Issue 2

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Franklin County residents voting in this November's election will be weighing Issue 2, a renewal of a tax levy that has supported animal care and day-to-day operations at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium for the past 10 years.

If passed on Nov. 4, Issue 2 would maintain the 0.75 mill Columbus Zoo levy for another 10-year period. The levy, which the zoo said Franklin County has been supporting since 1985, was most recently renewed in 2015 and would not increase taxes, continuing to cost residents about $11 a year per $100,000 of their assessed property value.

Tom Schmid, CEO of the Columbus Zoo, previously told NBC4 that the levy's passage is imperative to keep ticket prices fair and ensure the zoo's animals are properly cared for. Watch a previous NBC4 report on the Columbus Zoo levy in the video player above.

"[The levy] allows us to keep the ticket pricing relatively modest as well as membership pricing. It allows us to do a lot of community accessibility programming," Schmid said. "It helps support our education programming. I think those are all things that are important for people that live in Franklin County, live in the city of Columbus."

So, a "yes" vote would be in support of continuing the Columbus Zoo levy for another 10 years, and a "no" vote would be in favor of ending the levy.

This year, the levy is expected to generate about $20.5 million in Columbus Zoo funding. The largest portion of the levy, about 48%, or $12,326,168, is for animal care, according to the zoo's website. Nearly 30%, or $7,408,471, goes toward maintaining the zoo's facilities and grounds. Another 10%, or $2,550,462, supports animal nutrition. Eight percent, or $2,123,678, supports education programs. The remaining 5%, or $1,384,610, is dedicated to animal health.

These levy dollars represent more than a quarter of the zoo's annual $68.6 million operating costs. The zoo's website says the rest of its budget comes from admissions, parking fees, memberships, in-park food and retail sales, corporate sponsorships, donations, education programming and rounds played at Safari Golf Club.

The Columbus Zoo is asking for a renewal of its levy after former CEO Tom Stalf, alongside several other previous zoo executives, were sentenced to prison in 2024 for mishandling nearly $2.3 million in zoo funding several years ago. After Stalf and those other executives resigned, Schmid was named the zoo's new leader in fall 2021.

The zoo is also fighting a legal battle with Liberty Township, which is trying to add on a $1 tax per Columbus Zoo admission ticket to fund local fire and emergency medical services. The tax is based on a Statehouse law, House Bill 315, which passed in April 2024. However, the zoo argues the legislation isn't designed to be imposed on nonprofit organizations like itself.