Can Jackson Afford Loss-making Zoo and Golf Course?
Jackson official says city zoo and golf course operate at steep annual losses
An official identified at a Jackson City Council budget meeting as Peter Taylor told council members the city-run zoo and golf course lose money every year.
At a special budget meeting Sept. 16, the official, identified in the meeting as Peter Taylor and described there as the city's chief administrative officer, told the Jackson City Council that two city-run facilities are running deep operating losses. "We spent a million6 on the zoo and bring in less than $100,000," he said. "We spent $900,000 on a golf course, bring in about $400,000." His exact title has not been independently confirmed.
The remarks came as council members searched for funding to add police officers and firefighters to the city payroll. Taylor raised the zoo and golf course figures in the course of that budget discussion, without elaborating further on how the city might address the shortfalls or whether changes to either facility were under consideration.
The disclosure came directly from the city's own administration rather than from an outside critic, at a moment when council members were weighing where to find additional money for public safety hires. By volunteering that the zoo takes in less than $100,000 against roughly $1 million in spending, and that the golf course brings in about $400,000 against $900,000 in spending, the chief administrative officer put figures on the table suggesting the city has expenses beyond core services that could be scrutinized as it looks for savings. The council did not, according to the available record, announce any decision on the two facilities during the meeting.