Koch Brothers Vs Columbus Zoo

The famed Columbus Zoo, which is often ranked as the nation’s best, is under attack from the Koch Brothers.

Americans for Prosperity is sending out mailings this week urging Franklin County residents to vote “no” on Issue 6, the permanent, 1.25-mill property tax that would raise $32.7 million a year for the zoo. The group is supported by Charles and David Koch, billionaire brothers from Kansas whose wealth comes from oil and gas, chemical, paper and other industries. The zoo tax would replace a 0.75-mill levy that expires at the end of 2015 and brings in $18.9 million a year. It would cost homeowners $44 a year per $100,000 of property value. The current levy costs $21 a year. The group’s mailing calls it a “money grab” that would be “a 105 percent property-tax hike.” John Kulewicz, co-chairman of the zoo levy campaign, said that “falsely implies that our entire tax bill will go up” when the zoo levy is less than 1 percent of the overall residential property tax. He said the campaign hasn’t decided whether it will file a complaint with the Ohio Elections Commission about that wording.

The vote is May 6th. (Tipped by JMG reader Gustav)