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The City of Tampa is legal owner of the facility known as Lowry Park Zoo. The Lowry Park Zoological Society entered a lease and operating agreement with the City of Tampa in which the Zoological Society will operate and maintain the zoo to be used by the general public for charitable, entertainment and educational purposes.
Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo claims to receive 3%-4% of its annual operating budget from the local government.
This estimate of governmental contribution closely reflects the approximate $3000,000-$500,000 that Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa contribute to Lowry Park Zoo operations each year.
What Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo does not account for when publicly stating funds received from local government is the significant "CIT" or Community Investment Tax that the Zoo has and will continue to receive for years to come.
As Tax Payers we feel it is important to know where our precious money is being spent,
Through an interlocal agreement, Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa have contributed $7,583,000 for capital improvements to the Lowry Park Zoo between 2004 and 2008.
What Taxpayers $7,583,000 was spent on:
March 2004 $2,000,000
Interlocal agreement scope of services included capital improvements to five phases of the Safari Africa Exhibit as follows;
Elephant Exhibit Yard, Elephant Swimming Water Feature, Guest Ramps in and out of Tunnel, Partial Site Utilities, and Giraffe Feeding.
November 2004 $1,760,000
Interlocal agreement scope of services included capital improvements to five phases of the Safari Africa Exhibit as follows:
African Arrival Plaza, Guest Restrooms, Meerkat Exhibit, Hyrax Exhibit, and White Rhino Night House and Exhibit.
July 2006 $2,000,000
Interlocal agreement scope of services included capital improvements to the Zoo's Administrative Buildings, Front Gate, and expansions of the Africa, Florida Boardwalk, and Asia Exhibits.
May 2008 $1,823,000
Interlocal agreement scope of services included construction activities for an African Lodge, and related new animal exhibits for "Safari Africa", and the Log Flume Ride and related new animal exhibits in "Florida Boardwalk".
In addition to the above mentioned tax-payer commitment to the operation of Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo it should be noted that Hillsborough County Government continues to contribute and additional half a million dollars a year to our community's zoo: Published by Hillsborough County Government
On March 16th of 2006 the Hillsborough County Commission
debated the merits of advancing Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo
$2 Million dollars two years ahead of planned budget.
Concerns discussed include:
- "WE HAVE A MULTIPART ITEM TODAY TO COME BACK TO YOU ON THE ZOO FUNDING.
ONE WOULD BE TO ACCELERATE 2 MILLION OF THE $4 MILLION THE BOARD HAS IDENTIFIED AS AVAILABLE FOR THE LOWRY PARK ZOO, AND WE'D MOVE IT FROM 2008 TO THE CURRENT YEAR.
WE'D BORROW FUNDS TO MAKE THAT WORK."
- "IT WILL COST US, WE ESTIMATE, $176,658 TO BORROW THE MONEY TWO YEARS EARLIER TO MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO THE ZOO."
- "AT ONE POINT WE WERE PURCHASING, I BELIEVE, GIRAFFES AND A PYGMY HIPPO, AND AT THIS POINT WE'VE MOVED IT AROUND SO WE'RE NOT BUYING ANIMALS, WE'RE IMPROVING THE EXHIBITS."
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"WE SHOULDN'T BE BUILDING ANYTHING WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAINTAIN, AND IF WE'RE GOING TO GIVE MONEY FOR AN ASSET TO AN ORGANIZATION, WE SHOULD HAVE SOME CONFIDENCE THAT THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAINTAIN THOSE ASSETS OVER TIME."
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"NOBODY HAS DEFINED WHAT CONSTITUTES A BUSINESS PLAN, SO PART OF IT WILL BE WE'LL LAY OUT THAT STRUCTURE, AND THEN IT'LL BE CLEAR THAT WHEN YOU GET A PROPOSAL THAT THEY'VE THOUGHT IT THROUGH, THEY KNOW HOW TO MAINTAIN WHAT THEY BUILD, AND ONE OF THE ISSUES HERE IS THAT THE ZOO IS COMING TO US BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T NECESSARILY SPENT ENOUGH MONEY MAINTAINING THEIR EXISTING EXHIBITS, AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE ATTEMPTING TO DO THROUGH THIS COMMITMENT FROM THE BOARD."
Click "Here" to read the full transcripts from this Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners meeting.
As documented by Charity Navigator in 2006 (the most recent year reported) Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo's annual operating budget was $13,574,232.
During the fiscal year 2006, Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo reported an annual operating deficit of $517,660.
Lex Salisbury's salary in 2006 was reported to be $271,285
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