Tucson voters to decide on 20-year sales tax renewal to fund Reid Park Zoo

Tucson residents who visit Reid Park Zoo, take children on school field trips or rely on discounted admission will decide Nov. 3 whether the zoo keeps a dedicated stream of public funding for the next two decades. Proposition 422 would renew the existing 0.1% sales tax, equal to 1 cent for every $10 spent, from January 2028 through December 2047. The measure applies only to residents of the city of Tucson. It is expected to produce between $15 million and $17 million annually for zoo operations, maintenance and construction.

The tax would continue a 10-year funding program approved by Tucson voters in 2017 through Propositions 202 and 203. Since the tax took effect in 2018, it has supported projects including a new flamingo habitat, the World of Play children’s area, improvements to sidewalks and bathrooms, additional shade and an updated entrance. It also helped bring squirrel monkeys to the zoo, hire two full-time veterinarians and two veterinary technicians, and provide free field trips for kindergarten through 12th grade students. The funding supports the zoo’s teaching hospital partnership with the University of Arizona veterinary school as well.

The first phase of the zoo’s improvement plan is scheduled to conclude with the opening of Pathway to Asia on Nov. 13. The exhibit is planned to house two Malayan tigers, a Komodo dragon, gibbons, red pandas and a desert-adapted sand cat. The tigers are expected to arrive from another zoo in early November and will be introduced gradually through a fence. Their placement is part of a species survival program coordinated through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Fewer than 150 Malayan tigers remain in the wild, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature, Malaysia.

If voters approve Proposition 422, most of the next funding cycle would go toward larger animal habitats under phases two and three of the zoo’s master plan. Plans include reshaping the Africa area into a savannah for elephants, giraffes and lions, while adding warthogs and pygmy hippos. Zoo officials say the next phases would remain within the existing zoo footprint. The Reid Park Zoological Society, which manages the zoo, also describes the tax as a way to combine public dollars with private fundraising. Nancy Kluge, the society’s president and chief executive, said projects such as Pathway to Asia have been funded with about 85% taxpayer money and 15% private donations.

The tax is the main source of revenue for the city’s zoo fund. City financial reports estimated that fund at $17.1 million in fiscal year 2024 and projected $18 million for fiscal year 2025. Zoo officials say the tax covers nearly one-third of everyday operating costs, including animal care. They also connect the investment to increased attendance. The zoo averaged about 480,000 visitors annually before the 2017 tax and about 600,000 over the past three years. Nearly 100,000 visitors in that recent period attended free or at reduced prices.

Affordability is a central argument from supporters. Reid Park Zoo charges $12.75 for adults and $9 for children, considerably less than the Phoenix Zoo, where admission is nearly $45 for adults and nearly $33 for children. Pima County residents can receive two free passes through the Culture Pass program at Pima County Library locations. Visitors receiving SNAP or WIC benefits can pay $6.50 for adults and $2.50 for children. Zoo leaders say renewing the tax would help preserve those reduced rates, as well as educational programs and conservation work. The zoo provides grants and collaborates with researchers focused on protecting wildlife in natural habitats.

The proposal also carries unresolved concerns from the earlier expansion dispute at Reid Park. Save the Heart of Reid Park formed in 2020 after the zoo sought to expand into the Barnum Hill and South Duck Pond areas. In 2020, temporary fencing connected to soil testing appeared near one of the popular ponds, prompting residents to say they had not been adequately informed that the project could affect a free public area. After community discussions, the city moved the zoo’s maintenance yard instead, allowing the duck pond to remain. Zoo officials later added information to newsletters, social media, city communications and mailers, and created a “Future of Your Zoo” section on its website.

Save the Heart of Reid Park is urging a no vote on Proposition 422, saying a 20-year renewal requires stronger accountability and transparency. The group argues that the zoo’s master plan was not adequately explained through public information sessions and says the measure does not guarantee that future expansion will stay out of park areas. The city’s voter pamphlet contains eight arguments supporting the proposition and no submitted arguments opposing it, although the group has publicly stated its objections. Zoo officials say phases two and three will not alter the zoo’s current footprint.

A rejection would not immediately close Reid Park Zoo, but its leaders say it would create a significant financial problem. Kluge has not outlined a specific alternative budget, saying the zoo would have to determine its next steps. Possible responses could include higher admission prices, fewer animals or ending free and reduced-price programs, although she said animal care would remain the priority. A yes vote would authorize the tax beginning in 2028, allowing Tucson to continue funding the zoo’s current operations while expanding habitats and facilities. A no vote would leave city residents to weigh the zoo’s educational, conservation and family benefits against demands for greater oversight before committing public money through 2047.