Ticket price battle for ABQ Zoo

Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry raised the admission prices at the Albuquerque BioPark Zoo in August, and now, city councilors want to lower the price. Mayor Berry's plan included a three-dollar increase for adult admission. Instead of $7, adults must now pay $10 to get in. Children and seniors are now paying $4.50 - it was previously a $3 admission fee. The mayor said the cost increases were for the near $20 million in deferred maintenance at the over 85-year-old zoo. The new plan would create a 24-member maintenance team, used specifically for BioPark construction, the BioPark including the Zoo, Aquarium, Botanic Garden, and Tingley Beach. But Tuesday, the mayor’s staff stated jobs would be lost if the new fees for the zoo did not come through. “We're going to be forced into a situation where we have to lay city employees off. Absolutely the worst possible scenario,” the city’s chief operating officer John Soladay said. Mayor Berry was asked to clarify Soladay’s comments on Wednesday. There was confusion that the new fees were about maintenance, and never had anything to do with downsizing the original staff. If we don't have the dollars to do it, then we have to start looking at reducing services and reducing employees, potentially. And certainly watch the zoo continue to deteriorate,” Mayor Berry said. But some city councilors are battling the mayor’s request. Councilor Ken Sanchez is proposing that adult admission go up only one dollar instead of three. Sanchez also mentioned the city’s ABQ The Plan budget fund of $9 million. Those funds are in place for the proposed Paseo/1-25 interchange plan that will be voted on in November. He said a portion of that fund to go to helping the nearly $20 million in maintenance needs at the zoo. “The money is just sitting there in this fund and some of that money could be utilized for the issue we're dealing with in the BioPark increases,” Sanchez said. But the mayor emphasized that the money for the Paseo plan could not be touched...

Read more...

Ticket price battle for ABQ Zoo