Voters in Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne counties will decide a millage renewal for the Detroit Zoo in the November election.
Hayley Murphy is the zoo's Executive Director.
She said in addition to the exhibits and care for about 2,000 animals, from 200 species, the zoo operates educational outreach programs for communities and schools, and operates the Belle Isle Nature Center.
Murphy said the zoo has been a legacy institution for nearly 100 years.
"People tell me 'I was there with my kids because my parents brought me, and their parents brought them.' We also contribute over $190 million annually in our economic impact to the tri-county region," Murphy said.
Murphy said the renewal raises money equivalent to a third of the zoo's operating budget.
Two other major cultural institutions — The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, and the Detroit Historical Society, are seeking approval of their first-ever millage request to sustain their operations.
It's on the ballot for voters in Oakland and Wayne counties.
Neil Barclay, executive director of the museum, said it's no longer possible to fund the institutions with ticket sales and grants alone.
The millage would not just sustain current operations but expand them, he said, allowing both institutions to offer free admission, increase outreach activities, as well as help fund smaller museums and historical societies in the region.
Wright said the museum and historical society host more than 20,000 schoolchildren a year.
"We've seen the transformative power of students coming through these institutions and just beaming — feeling really different about themselves and who they are, where they come from, and how important this city really is in the world," he said.
Barclay said a lot is riding on the millage. He said both institutions will have to trim their budgets, and possibly reduce hours, staffing and outreach if the millage does not pass.
