WACO, Texas (KXXV) — The Cameron Park Zoo in Waco is exploring a shift to nonprofit operation as it experiences significant growth, with potential savings of $600,000 annually for taxpayers.
Watch the full story here:
The popular tourist destination, which attracts visitors of all ages from across the region, presented the privatization findings to Waco's City Council last week. Under the proposed public-private partnership, the city would retain ownership of the facility while a nonprofit board of directors would take over most operations.
"What we see over the next 10-year period is that for the operational growth that is needed, it's going to wind up costing over 8 years about $2.3 million additional dollars. Likewise, if we were to change our model to operate as a nonprofit, we could probably save about $600,000 a year," said Brendan Wiley, Cameron Park Zoo director.
The zoo is currently experiencing a significant growth spurt, with more than 200,000 people visiting from outside McLennan County each year.
"The primary way that we draw additional attendance space is a combination of affordable experience and adding to that attendance base. This year we're on track to see about 380,000 people," Wiley said.
According to Wiley, the goal is to increase annual attendance to more than 420,000 visitors.
The city has not made final decisions and is still conducting studies to evaluate its best option.
"There isn't any crisis that is saying we have to do this now, so we've got time to do the due diligence that we need. Having said that, now that you have a snapshot of what savings could be earned, the longer you delay that, the more savings that you potentially miss," Wiley said.
As one of more than 200 Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited zoos in the country, Cameron Park Zoo anticipates needing to hire more than 30 new staff members in the future to meet accreditation standards.
Next steps include evaluating maintenance needs, as many of the zoo's assets are more than 30 years old. These assessments will be incorporated into the zoo's overall future strategic and business plans as it continues to explore the possibility of transitioning to nonprofit operation.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
