ElectionsWednesday, November 11
Pueblo voters approved the zoo's sales tax, and December admission is half off for county residents
The Good Day Pueblo team
If you've wondered about the Pueblo Zoo's future, voters just answered. Question 2B passed with 60% of the vote, and the new sales tax will run for the next five years.
Question 2B passed with 60% of the vote
60%Share of voters who said yes to the zoo tax
Sources: FOX21 News Colorado, Pueblo Chieftain
View as table
| Value | |
|---|---|
| Share of voters who said yes to the zoo tax | 60% |
The zoo says the money will first erase its budget shortfall and shore up operations. Early changes could show up in animal habitats, with more shade, landscaping and natural-looking exhibits. Bigger projects like the historic district, monkey mountain and the aging bear pits could follow.
“So you're not going to see all of it dumped into one bucket, all of a sudden.”
- Thank-you deal: half-off daytime admission through December
- Who gets it: people in Pueblo County
- Maybe someday: a multi-species African exhibit, nothing decided
The zoo tax by the numbers
- 0.167%
- sales tax increase for five years
- 17 cents
- more for every $100 spent on retail
- $150,000
- nearly, the zoo's budget shortfall announced earlier in 2026
Sources: FOX21 News Colorado, Pueblo Chieftain
Same ballot, different result: Mayor Heather Graham's Measure 2A for the fire department and public safety technology was rejected by a nearly 2-to-1 margin. Graham said the city "will continue to find ways to creatively fund for our budgetary needs."
Sources: FOX21 News Colorado, Pueblo Chieftain