Battle Brews Over Zoo Closure
Council, Mayor At Odds Over Money For Belle Isle
POSTED: 8:45 p.m. EDT June 26, 2002
UPDATED: 10:36 p.m. EDT June 26, 2002
DETROIT -- The Detroit City Council and community activists are upset with Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick over his apparent refusal to spend money set aside to reopen the Belle Isle Zoo.
Kilpatrick said in April that the zoo would be closed this season because the city could not afford to keep it open as well as running the larger Detroit Zoo on Woodward Avenue in Royal Oak. He recommended the move to help reduce a $75 million deficit facing the city.
The City Council set aside $700,000 to keep the zoo open, which includes its $600,000 annual budget and another $100,000 for maintenance.
Kilpatrick vetoed that move, and despite overriding the veto, the council has been unable to force the mayor to spend the money.
City officials are denying rumors that the zoo's temporary closure could become permanent.
The mayor explained the move to a group of students during a visit to the Roeper School in Bloomfield as purely a money matter.
"We need to really figure out what we want there, and how we would really put together or what we would do with that zoo. Not just continue to open it, and manage it and run it, and really flush money down the toilet," said Kilpatrick.
Attendance at the Belle Isle Zoo has fallen to about 10 times less than it was 15 years ago, Local 4 reported.
Many Detroit residents have been upset by the closure of the zoo. Some community leaders have reacted negatively by the move to consolidate, at least temporarily, the zoo's operations at the suburban zoo location.
Kilpatrick said last month that he does not want to close the zoo for good.
"We want to reopen the zoo, we want to reopen it right," Kilpatrick said. "We want to do correct marketing, look at what should be there, look at what kinds of attractions should be there, like we've done at the Detroit Zoo. And we think we have to end is this whole debate of the Detroit Zoo versus the Belle Isle Zoo."
Kilpatrick said in April that the zoo would be closed this season because the city could not afford to keep it open as well as running the larger Detroit Zoo on Woodward Avenue in Royal Oak. He recommended the move to help reduce a $75 million deficit facing the city.
The City Council set aside $700,000 to keep the zoo open, which includes its $600,000 annual budget and another $100,000 for maintenance.
Kilpatrick vetoed that move, and despite overriding the veto, the council has been unable to force the mayor to spend the money.
City officials are denying rumors that the zoo's temporary closure could become permanent.
The mayor explained the move to a group of students during a visit to the Roeper School in Bloomfield as purely a money matter.
"We need to really figure out what we want there, and how we would really put together or what we would do with that zoo. Not just continue to open it, and manage it and run it, and really flush money down the toilet," said Kilpatrick.
Attendance at the Belle Isle Zoo has fallen to about 10 times less than it was 15 years ago, Local 4 reported.
Many Detroit residents have been upset by the closure of the zoo. Some community leaders have reacted negatively by the move to consolidate, at least temporarily, the zoo's operations at the suburban zoo location.
Kilpatrick said last month that he does not want to close the zoo for good.
"We want to reopen the zoo, we want to reopen it right," Kilpatrick said. "We want to do correct marketing, look at what should be there, look at what kinds of attractions should be there, like we've done at the Detroit Zoo. And we think we have to end is this whole debate of the Detroit Zoo versus the Belle Isle Zoo."
Previous Story:
- May 6, 2002: Mayor Says Zoo Closure Only Temporary
Copyright 2002 by ClickOnDetroit.com.
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