Portland-area voters will see new $380M zoo bond on May ballot

The Oregon Zoo is seeking approval for another bond in this May’s local elections, this time for $380 million.

It’s the first time a zoo bond will go before voters since 2008, when 60% voted in favor of a $125 million bond. This latest version would be a renewal of the same bond and was approved in February by the Metro Council, the elected government for Metro.

Along with being responsible for the Oregon Zoo, Metro also oversees the operations of the Oregon Convention Center and Portland’s Centers for the Arts.

This latest bond, if passed, would receive a tax of 8.5 cents per $1,000 of taxable property value for residents living in Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties. For a home with an assessed value of $400,000, owners would owe $34 a year. Because this bond is a continuation of the previous one, property owners will see no change if the bond passes.

The 2008 bond campaign largely revolved around the construction of elephant, primate and polar bear exhibits, as well as reconstructing the veterinary medical center.

For this new bond, zoo leaders say they’ll largely rely on the 2024 Draft Campus Plan, which outlines the next 20 years of infrastructure improvements at the 136-year-old zoo.

Despite all the renovations made at the zoo, there are still many structures that remain out-of-date, according to the plan.

“There are habitats in sections of the zoo that date to the late 1950s and are not able to keep pace with changing standards,” the draft plan states. “The zoo has a lot to be proud of, but at the same time there is more work to do — for our animals, for our guests and for our environment.”

Metro Councilor Christine Lewis, who represents Milwaukie and other areas of Clackamas County, said some projects include reducing the zoo’s water usage and making exhibits more accessible to all visitors.

“We are excited about the opportunity to continue investments that will protect animal health and well-being,” Lewis said.

And supporters are spending huge amounts of money to get the bond passed. Vote Yes for the Oregon Zoo, the political action committee campaigning in favor of the bond, has raised about $678,000 with the vast majority of that coming from the Oregon Zoo Foundation.

Local labor unions and Portland General Electric have also donated thousands of dollars in support.

But not everyone is in favor of the Oregon Zoo receiving more dollars from area property owners.

In particular, the animal rights organization In Defense of Animals has raised concerns about the elephants living at the zoo. The zoo’s Elephant Lands exhibit was funded by the previous bond, and has come under scrutiny when multiple elephants died in captivity over a four-year span of time.

Related: The Mysterious Virus That Killed The Oregon Zoo's Youngest Elephant

Courtney Scott, the elephants consultant for In Defense of Animals, has long been a vocal critic of the Oregon Zoo’s elephant habitat. She said the zoo should not receive more public funds.

“The whole point of it, basically, was to improve the lives of the elephants,” Scott said. “Their conditions have actually either not improved or gotten worse over the time.”

Zoo officials have pushed back on critics of the elephant habitat in previous years, accusing opponents of the bonds of issuing “misleading claims.”

Councilor Christine Lewis maintained that the previous bond was a success.

“We are confident that the community supports the Oregon Zoo,” she said. “And given the opportunity to learn about the plan, we know that voters are interested in continuing these investments.”

Attendance at the zoo has dipped slightly since the COVID-19 pandemic, but the zoo remains an incredibly popular destination in Oregon, with about 1.3 million visitors last year.