Oakland Zoo

Measure Y: Proposed Oakland Zoo Parcel Tax on November Ballot

This November, voters in Oakland will be asked to pitch in to help keep their zoo’s lions, tigers and bears well cared for.

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More people are finally returning to one of Oakland’s oldest attractions after the pandemic forced the Oakland Zoo to scale back.

“We were closed seven months. It costs us $2 million a month to run the zoo. We had to let go of staff and cut back,” said Oakland Zoo CEO Nik Dehejia.

While things are starting to get back to normal, the Oakland Zoo needs a financial boost.

Measure Y, a parcel tax on the November ballot aims to help them generate much needed funding.

“We hope that people go to the ballot and really think about the value and the importance of the zoo in this community, what it means to them and to the children of Oakland,” said Dehejia.

If Measure Y passes, Oakland homeowners will pay a parcel tax of $68 a year. The money would allow the zoo to renovate some favorite exhibits, an otherwise tall order.

“If we can secure the funds over time, we’re looking at drastically expanding this exhibit as we are with the chimp exhibit and other facilities here in the zoo,” Dehejia said.

It would also allow them to make the zoo more accessible. Some East Bay seniors recently got a taste of the wild side as the Oakland Zoo hosted hundreds of seniors free of charge, something the zoo wants to do more often.

Supporters said the measure would allow them to give big discounts to the community at a time Oakland really needs safe spaces for people to have fun.

“That’s what measure Y does, is really investing in the city of Oakland and giving back to this community in a way we never have before," Dehejia said.

Political analyst Larry Gerston said while Oakland has traditionally supported its zoo, there are other measures on the ballot that may make them think twice about green lighting another parcel tax.

“If this issue was by itself, it would probably be a slam dunk. But once you’re competing with other financial issues, that’s when some voters get squeamish and that’s what we have yet to see,” he said.

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