Kern County voters will likely have the opportunity to vote on a proposed sales tax to revamp Bakersfield’s zoo in November.
The Protect CALM Zoo campaign announced Wednesday that it has submitted more than 32,500 signatures to the county election’s office in order to place the one-eighth of one 1 percent on the November ballot.
The big picture: Supporters are proposing the tax to fund a 20-year master plan intended to bring the zoo up to the level of the Fresno Chaffee Zoo, which itself has greatly benefited from a local sales tax.
The zoo, which was founded in 1983, currently serves more than 100,000 visitors annually and is the only zoo in the nation dedicated exclusively to California’s native species.
If the tax is approved, the master plan would add grizzly bears, wolves, bison and elk to the exhibits, ultimately expanding the zoo by 186% to span 40 acres.
What we’re watching: Kern County elections officials will now work to certify the signatures in order to place the tax measure in front of voters on Nov. 3.
What they’re saying: “When more than 32,500 of your neighbors sign their name to something, that’s so encouraging and speaks to the importance of CALM to this community,” said Protect CALM Zoo board president Jim Damian. “Kern County spoke clearly, and we are humbled by that trust. Now our job is to carry that energy all the way to November and finish what this community started.”