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Council Member Dave Buhler
Update on Hogle Zoo
May 28, 2003

• Salt Lake City owns the Zoo, but does not contribute funds to its operations. In addition to private sources such as ticket sales and donations, it receives over $1 million a year from the State Legislature, as well as funds through the County from the voter-approved “ZAP tax.”

• The Zoo is run by a private organization; the City exercises no oversight.

• Some Salt Lake County officials, as well as officials of other cities in Salt Lake County, are pushing for the relocation of the Zoo to West Valley City or some other location.

• Last year, a study was conducted that compared the feasibility of keeping the Zoo at its current location with the possibility of expanding to property across the street, or relocating it to a site in West Valley. The study concluded that it would cost approximately twice as much to relocate it.

Not satisfied, Salt Lake County has commissioned another more extensive study at the cost of some $200,000. Once again, the focus has been on Sunnyside Avenue vs. West Valley City. Recently, another site, in Bluffdale on the border of Utah County, has also been mentioned.

• Meanwhile, the Zoo’s plans for site improvements have been put on hold while they wait for their fate to be debated. This is detrimental to the Zoo, and of course, detrimental to the animals living at the Zoo. Significant private donations have also been withheld over uncertainty.

• All of this is premised on the notion that the Zoo needs to expand—be considerably bigger—to be better. I do not agree with that assumption. For instance, the Chicago Zoo has fewer acres even though it serves a much larger population.

• I raised this issue with my colleagues on the City Council earlier this year. Unanimously they expressed support for keeping the Zoo in the City.