It looks like Tucson voters will have the final say on a new sales tax to benefit the Reid Park Zoo.
Organizers behind an attempt to refer a temporary, one-tenth of 1 percent increase to cityβs sales tax to benefit Reid Park Zoo turned in more than 19,000 signatures earlier this week, about 10,000 more than necessary to qualify.
To get the question onto the Nov. 7 general election ballot, organizers with the Future of Your Zoo Campaign needed to collect at least 9,241 valid signatures from registered voters who live within the city limits.
The next step before officially putting the issue on the ballot will be a 15-day review of the signatures submitted by the campaign.
If the ballot measure passes, the revenue from the Future of Your Zoo initiative could provide between $8 million and $10 million in funding annually to the 50-year-old zoo for 10 years. The new revenues would go to infrastructure upgrades inside the zoo and expansions to several existing animal habitats.
One estimate suggests it would cost the average resident less than a $1 a month in new sales taxes.
Two separate items will be put on the ballot β one that increases the sales tax for 10 years, the other that modifies the City Charter.
City voters in May approved a sales tax hike, from 2 cents per $1 to 2Β½ cents, to pay for road improvements and equipment and capital projects for the Tucson Police and Fire departments.
