Petitioners gather enough signatures for Pueblo Zoo sales tax

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) - Petitioners for the Pueblo Zoo have officially got all the signatures they needed to get a retail sales tax on the ballot. 

In fact, the city says they surpassed the more than a thousand signatures needed, but there are still a few more steps.

The Pueblo Zoo has been dealing with financial issues for months, and KRDO13 has covered the zoo's public pleas before; now they're asking the residents of the city of Pueblo for about one-sixth of a cent per dollar you spend to go to the zoo. 

Zoo leadership says if they don't get more funding in the next two to three years, they will likely be forced to close their doors. The zoo cites budget cuts and inflation. And although they've held events, fundraisers, and were even allocated some money from the city council, they say it's not enough.  

"That gave us some breathing room, even flatlining. The budget is we're not keeping up with inflation and everything that we need to do for maintenance at the zoo," shared executive director Abbie Kraus.

Mayor Heather Graham is also working on her own sales tax proposal. In it, she has four buckets, one of which would partially support the Pueblo Zoo.  

Now that petitioners have got all the signatures they needed, this ballot measure still has to go to city council. That's expected to happen on Monday.

If this passes in November, zoo leadership estimates it would rake in $3.5 million.  

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: The next Pueblo Zoo funding request is coming at the ballot box; how did we get here?