August 7, 2025 • 7 mins
Mike and Campy discuss the lawsuit over emergency services. This would increase the cost of a ticket by $1.00 per person.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
So the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium that they have now
filed a lawsuit against Liberty Township because of the new
one dollar tax that the Liberty Township officials voted on.
They approved that surcharge known as the Protect and Serve Fee.
It's an extra buck per ticket for the zoo and
(00:23):
they have this because of the emergency services, all of
the emergency runs to the zoo from Liberty Township Fire,
EMS police.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
The zoo gets.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
A million visitors a year, almost two million visitors a year,
so it stands to reason you're going to have an
emergency run or two. And I used to have the
number of runs they made last year, I don't recall.
It's significant that they have to make. Well, there's costs
associated with EMS runs and emergency runs, and it starts
(01:01):
to add it starts to add up, and you're like, well,
so what that's their job. Well, the problem is is
the zoo is a nonprofit. They don't pay property tax,
so township officials, Liberty Township officials say they need another
source of funding to cover their expenses.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Yeah, so they voted on a.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
An up charge a dollar per admission ticket to offset
the lack of the property tax being paid by the zoo.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
That's not a big deal. I don't think it's a
big deal either.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
It's an extra.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
And listen, it's not coming out of their pocket, right,
they're passing it along to zoo patrons.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
It's incredibly popular. You've seen the lines in the traffic
as you head towards the zoo. So you would think that,
you know, one dollar per person.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
So a family afford it's going to cost you an
extra four bucks.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
That's that's really not if.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
You really and I don't know off the top of
my head what a zoo ticket is. Is it thirty
five forty five bucks?
Speaker 2 (01:57):
It's not cheap. It's not cheap.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
And if you have a zoo membership, it's even easier
to swallow because the zoom membership, if you totally they're
only going to attack on an extra dollar per member
per year. Right, So if you've got a family of four,
it's going to cost you four bucks for the year.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
It's between twenty eight ninety nine and thirty five ninety nine,
depending on age.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
All right, let's call let's call the high end thirty
six bucks. Okay, so family four, so it's now thirty
seven bucks. Yeah, you know it'll cost you, and you
expect that you're going to the zoo for the day,
it's going to cost you, you know, one hundred and
forty bucks or so to go to the zoo.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
And if you tack on, I mean, you know, ten
to fifty nine, thirty five ninety nine ages sixty plus
thirty three ninety nine and then parking is ten dollars.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
The parking was what was what always gets you. It
is but still an extra dollar. And again it's not
coming out of the zoo's pocket. So if you really
want to take the grandkids to the zoo, or you
really want to take the family to the zoo, as
an extra four dollars going to prohibit that, maybe in
some cases, maybe in some cases, but it's not enough
to hurt the zoo's overall revenue.
Speaker 4 (03:08):
Yeah, and if that and if it not only does
not hurt the revenue, but if it, you know, if
that adds up to getting a little extra protection for
emergency calls, that seems to make sense to me. Nothing
about what you just said strikes a chord where you're like, wait,
what are.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
You talking about. I mean, we're talking about one dollar.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
That's right to cover emergency runs. I think that's fair.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
But yeah, do you too.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
But now you got this lawsuit, so now you're your
Liberty Township police fire ems.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Aren't you feeling a little like, oh, come on? You know?
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (03:40):
So then you get a call, Hey, we've got someone
who's undergoing a medical situation at the zoo.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Can you come out?
Speaker 1 (03:47):
And they're going, yes, we'll come out, illout, drop your
flip and lawsuit.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
Yeah, because that costs money. I mean, I I think
that one I'll be on someone's a little TIKEI tax or.
I don't want to say yeah, I say it's a
little frivolous ticket. It is one dollar per person. Is
just it doesn't it's a dollar.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
And I get it everybody wants to hold out of
their dollars.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
But I mean, like I said, there's nothing about this
where it sounds like there's a downside.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
How about this, Columbus Zoo, relinquish your nonprofit status and
pay property tax like everybody else, and we don't have
to worry about this, And that's that'll never happen.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
That's way more money than this and they'll never do that.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
And that would would that cause to speak to that
wouldn't that cause ticket prices to go higher because of
the property tax. So isn't this actually essential that that
it stays, what goes one dollar higher and you get
all the safety features you need, whereas if you pay
the property tax then it gets.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
You're going to pass that on zoo patriots, and the
ticket prices are now fifty dollars exactly.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
Yeah, that would now that one would hurt a little bit.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Then you're like, that's what I'm saying, But that's you
know what, what's your other option here? I mean, your
your unstoppable force meets immovable object. You got to do
something because you need police and fire service from Liberty Township.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
Yeah, just kill the dollars.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
So what are they sewing for?
Speaker 3 (05:16):
I don't know. That's why I'm like, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
They're asking for a delay on the new tax, and
I don't know what that means.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Why would a delay just to put off the inevitable?
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
Just you know what the zoo and I look, I
like the zoo, my kid. We don't go as much
as we used to when.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Well, the wild lights during Christmas time is gorgeous.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
It is, and you know we went fairly often when
the kids were little. They're teenagers. Now, you know, you've
seen one zebra, you've seen them all is there is
their standpoint.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
It's comano to be honest, so we don't go that often.
But it's just.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Well, I don't know what they're doing. It hasn't been
the same, Mesica. I'm just gonna say it. The Zoo
hasn't been the same since Jack Hannah.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
It just hasn't. You had the big scandal with all of.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Those guys taking stuff for personally use, Tom Staff Yeah,
and finger Hut and that crew, and that was a
big black eye for the Columbus Zoo. And I give
the CEO Tom Schmidt credit for trying to turn that
whole thing around and move on from that scandal. But
this kind of thing doesn't help suing Liberty Township over
(06:28):
a bucket ticket because you you need to offset the
cost for emergency service.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
I would agree that the amount of unintended consequences that
have happened, or say how he want you know the
loss of a legend with Jack Hannah, and then as
you mentioned, you know the criminal activity that took place
before that, And I'm trying to equate this a little bit.
We talked about some of the unfortunate and circumstances happened
(06:56):
between the Blue Jackets, you know, where you have injuries
or you have this tragic death, and you're just trying
to get forward momentum. You're trying to find a way
to get forward momentum. That's where the zoo is right now.
You want forward traction. So a lawsuit over some I'm like,
this doesn't does not help the look.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Yet right now.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Just take it and just say, you know, hey, yeah
we got to pay for police and fire. It's going
to cost you one dollar more to get to the zoo.
I don't think you're going to have too many people
complain about that.
So the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium that they have now
filed a lawsuit against Liberty Township because of the new
one dollar tax that the Liberty Township officials voted on.
They approved that surcharge known as the Protect and Serve Fee.
It's an extra buck per ticket for the zoo and
(00:23):
they have this because of the emergency services, all of
the emergency runs to the zoo from Liberty Township Fire,
EMS police.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
The zoo gets.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
A million visitors a year, almost two million visitors a year,
so it stands to reason you're going to have an
emergency run or two. And I used to have the
number of runs they made last year, I don't recall.
It's significant that they have to make. Well, there's costs
associated with EMS runs and emergency runs, and it starts
(01:01):
to add it starts to add up, and you're like, well,
so what that's their job. Well, the problem is is
the zoo is a nonprofit. They don't pay property tax,
so township officials, Liberty Township officials say they need another
source of funding to cover their expenses.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Yeah, so they voted on a.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
An up charge a dollar per admission ticket to offset
the lack of the property tax being paid by the zoo.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
That's not a big deal. I don't think it's a
big deal either.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
It's an extra.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
And listen, it's not coming out of their pocket, right,
they're passing it along to zoo patrons.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
It's incredibly popular. You've seen the lines in the traffic
as you head towards the zoo. So you would think that,
you know, one dollar per person.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
So a family afford it's going to cost you an
extra four bucks.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
That's that's really not if.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
You really and I don't know off the top of
my head what a zoo ticket is. Is it thirty
five forty five bucks?
Speaker 2 (01:57):
It's not cheap. It's not cheap.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
And if you have a zoo membership, it's even easier
to swallow because the zoom membership, if you totally they're
only going to attack on an extra dollar per member
per year. Right, So if you've got a family of four,
it's going to cost you four bucks for the year.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
It's between twenty eight ninety nine and thirty five ninety nine,
depending on age.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
All right, let's call let's call the high end thirty
six bucks. Okay, so family four, so it's now thirty
seven bucks. Yeah, you know it'll cost you, and you
expect that you're going to the zoo for the day,
it's going to cost you, you know, one hundred and
forty bucks or so to go to the zoo.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
And if you tack on, I mean, you know, ten
to fifty nine, thirty five ninety nine ages sixty plus
thirty three ninety nine and then parking is ten dollars.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
The parking was what was what always gets you. It
is but still an extra dollar. And again it's not
coming out of the zoo's pocket. So if you really
want to take the grandkids to the zoo, or you
really want to take the family to the zoo, as
an extra four dollars going to prohibit that, maybe in
some cases, maybe in some cases, but it's not enough
to hurt the zoo's overall revenue.
Speaker 4 (03:08):
Yeah, and if that and if it not only does
not hurt the revenue, but if it, you know, if
that adds up to getting a little extra protection for
emergency calls, that seems to make sense to me. Nothing
about what you just said strikes a chord where you're like, wait,
what are.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
You talking about. I mean, we're talking about one dollar.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
That's right to cover emergency runs. I think that's fair.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
But yeah, do you too.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
But now you got this lawsuit, so now you're your
Liberty Township police fire ems.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Aren't you feeling a little like, oh, come on? You know?
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (03:40):
So then you get a call, Hey, we've got someone
who's undergoing a medical situation at the zoo.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Can you come out?
Speaker 1 (03:47):
And they're going, yes, we'll come out, illout, drop your
flip and lawsuit.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
Yeah, because that costs money. I mean, I I think
that one I'll be on someone's a little TIKEI tax or.
I don't want to say yeah, I say it's a
little frivolous ticket. It is one dollar per person. Is
just it doesn't it's a dollar.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
And I get it everybody wants to hold out of
their dollars.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
But I mean, like I said, there's nothing about this
where it sounds like there's a downside.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
How about this, Columbus Zoo, relinquish your nonprofit status and
pay property tax like everybody else, and we don't have
to worry about this, And that's that'll never happen.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
That's way more money than this and they'll never do that.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
And that would would that cause to speak to that
wouldn't that cause ticket prices to go higher because of
the property tax. So isn't this actually essential that that
it stays, what goes one dollar higher and you get
all the safety features you need, whereas if you pay
the property tax then it gets.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
You're going to pass that on zoo patriots, and the
ticket prices are now fifty dollars exactly.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
Yeah, that would now that one would hurt a little bit.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Then you're like, that's what I'm saying, But that's you
know what, what's your other option here? I mean, your
your unstoppable force meets immovable object. You got to do
something because you need police and fire service from Liberty Township.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
Yeah, just kill the dollars.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
So what are they sewing for?
Speaker 3 (05:16):
I don't know. That's why I'm like, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
They're asking for a delay on the new tax, and
I don't know what that means.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Why would a delay just to put off the inevitable?
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
Just you know what the zoo and I look, I
like the zoo, my kid. We don't go as much
as we used to when.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Well, the wild lights during Christmas time is gorgeous.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
It is, and you know we went fairly often when
the kids were little. They're teenagers. Now, you know, you've
seen one zebra, you've seen them all is there is
their standpoint.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
It's comano to be honest, so we don't go that often.
But it's just.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Well, I don't know what they're doing. It hasn't been
the same, Mesica. I'm just gonna say it. The Zoo
hasn't been the same since Jack Hannah.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
It just hasn't. You had the big scandal with all of.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Those guys taking stuff for personally use, Tom Staff Yeah,
and finger Hut and that crew, and that was a
big black eye for the Columbus Zoo. And I give
the CEO Tom Schmidt credit for trying to turn that
whole thing around and move on from that scandal. But
this kind of thing doesn't help suing Liberty Township over
(06:28):
a bucket ticket because you you need to offset the
cost for emergency service.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
I would agree that the amount of unintended consequences that
have happened, or say how he want you know the
loss of a legend with Jack Hannah, and then as
you mentioned, you know the criminal activity that took place
before that, And I'm trying to equate this a little bit.
We talked about some of the unfortunate and circumstances happened
(06:56):
between the Blue Jackets, you know, where you have injuries
or you have this tragic death, and you're just trying
to get forward momentum. You're trying to find a way
to get forward momentum. That's where the zoo is right now.
You want forward traction. So a lawsuit over some I'm like,
this doesn't does not help the look.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Yet right now.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Just take it and just say, you know, hey, yeah
we got to pay for police and fire. It's going
to cost you one dollar more to get to the zoo.
I don't think you're going to have too many people
complain about that.
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