1 post tagged “detroit zoo”

Commission suspends rules to pass resolution
By Charles Crumm
Journal Register News Service
Royal Oak Daily Tribune
Friday, March 7, 2008

Oakland County commissioners suspended their rules Thursday to hastily pass a resolution urging state lawmakers to pass legislation to create an authority to manage the Detroit Zoo.

A hearing on the legislation introduced by state Sen. Gilda Jacobs, D-Huntington Woods, was also held Thursday before the Senate Finance Committee with the expectation that the committee will vote on it next week.

The zoo, located in Royal Oak in Oakland County, and the Belle Isle Nature Center in Detroit are operated by the Detroit Zoological Institute. Detroit owns the land and buildings.

An authority is being established because subsidies from Detroit are being phased out. An authority would be able to seek a regional millage to operate the facilities while Detroit would retain ownership.

"Oakland, Macomb and Wayne would each set up a zoo authority and the purpose of the authority is to levy a tax," Jacobs said. "This would be voted on in each of the counties.

"We want to keep the zoo's doors open," she said. "We also want to eliminate the concern of going back to the Legislature every year for money to bail out the zoo and get a dedicated revenue stream."

Included in this year's proposed state budget is $8 million in transition money for the facilities until the authorities could be established, she said.

Under the legislation, an authority could levy a one-tenth of a mill property tax to fund zoo operations.

A mill is $1 for each $1,000 of taxable property value. A one-tenth of a mill tax would cost the owner of a home with a taxable value of $100,000 about $10 a year.

The legislation would also require local county commissions to adopt articles of incorporation to establish an authority.

Jacobs said a one-tenth of a mill tax would generate about $12 million a year.

County commissioners threw their support behind the legislation by an 18-4 vote with three members absent.

"I support this cultural jewel as a must," said Commissioner Mike Rogers, R-Farmington Hills.

Commissioners voting against the idea said they weren't necessarily opposing the legislation but hadn't had time to read the resolution they were voting on.

"I suspect as this moves forward, I will be supportive as well," said Commissioner Eileen Kowall, R-White Lake Township.  [Ed. Note: "I didn't bother reading it, so I'd better be against it!"]

Yea!/Yay!
Too bad this lot didn't think of doing this before Detroit's witling mayor shut the Belle Isle Zoo and Aquarium! No good in any form has come of that.