The Capron Park Zoo in Attleboro, Mass., is still open. That was anything but assured this spring during a messy fight over funding.
In March, Attleboro Mayor Cathleen DeSimone proposed closing the zoo due to budget constraints. She introduced a plan to transform the grounds into a nature preserve and animal rehabilitation center.
After vocal pushback, DeSimone announced a month later that the city would continue operating the zoo for the 2027 fiscal year, but warned that it could result in layoffs of city workers.
Today, DeSimone maintains that relying on taxpayer dollars and one-time funds is not a sustainable solution. She says the city is now looking for an outside partner to take over management of the zoo while Attleboro retains ownership of the property. She says she is “cautiously optimistic” that a deal can be reached.
DeSimone spoke with Ocean State Media’s Luis Hernandez about the state of the zoo and why she says the city needs to make changes.
Interview highlights
On why she suggested changing the nature of the zoo
Mayor Cathleen DeSimone: The zoo's budget is about $1.6-1.7 million per year, largely split 50/50 between the taxpayer funds and revenue generated by admissions and gift shop sales, et cetera.
Well, in light of our challenging financial times, last year I thought it would be an appropriate time to have a conversation about transitioning the zoo to something more financially sustainable in the long term. Because we have other departments that I need to fund, which you would call “essential.” It doesn't mean better or more important, but it means things you can't function without: police, fire, schools, public works.
So I tried to start a conversation with my colleagues on the council about taking an off-ramp for the zoo. We were calling it a “reimagining” to basically scale down and simplify the zoo in terms of its animal selections and its staffing to reduce costs.
On the idea of creating a nature reserve and the current state of funding for the zoo
DeSimone: That idea was squelched pretty quickly by people who thought, "Nope, she's closing the zoo. That's it. The zoo is gone."
We didn't really ever get the chance to even have a conversation. So we told the council, "Look, we'll fund the zoo this year. We're going to use free cash to close the budget deficit, and we're going to make our best efforts to figure out a way forward."
So the zoo is funded this year. I will not waste taxpayer money or any money — we're trying to figure out a way forward. So we're going to see if there's any partners out there, whether it's nonprofit organizations or even commercial entities, who want to kind of take over the operations and management. The city would retain ownership of the land; it would be nothing else other than a zoo.
On what happens when the currently allocated funding runs out
DeSimone: It kind of depends on how bad things are. You have to fund your schools at a certain level by law. You have to have police and fire departments, or provide for public safety. You have to pave your roads. So the conversation, if things are that bad, won't just be about the zoo, it'll be about other departments or programs that aren't essential, and there could be some really hard decisions.
What I've learned through all of this, though, is it's not a decision I'm going to make, nor do I think the council should make it. I think we need to put it out to the populace and decide, ‘Hey, things aren't good, something's gotta go, right? These are your choices.’
On the future of the zoo
DeSimone: In an ideal world, we still have a zoo. I actually can see a narrow path where things go really well with the right players, with the right team, because the government isn't always good at running what essentially functions as a business.
It's certainly an asset to the city. It's a quality of life matter, and it's beautiful. So I guess in the ideal future, we continue to have it, and it's thriving, and it's under somebody else's operation in partnership with the city.
