Columbus Zoo Levy Overwhelmingly Shot Down

Update 10:19 p.m. The WOSU Newsroom has called the race on Issue 6, a permanent levy for the Columbus Zoo, as a failed levy. With 360 precincts reporting and the Columbus zoo conceding defeat, the levy has failed. Stay with WOSU News throughout the night and early in the morning on Morning Edition for complete coverage of the May 6 election. ---------- Update 10:03 p.m. Supporters of the Columbus Zoo Levy are close to conceding defeat on Issue 6. With 360 of the 1072 precincts reporting, nearly 70 percent of the votes against the levy. Columbus Zoo board chair Phil Pikelny said if voters reject levy it's "hard to say what happens next." ---------- Update 9:57 p.m. From @mthompsoncbus: For second time in five months, Central Ohio voters poised to overwhelming reject tax hike backed by business and civic leaders. ---------- Update 9:46 p.m. Things are looking bleak for supporters of Issue 6. With 244 of the 1072 precincts reporting, the zoo levy is failing by more than a 2-1 margin. There have been, including absentee ballots, 29,486 votes against the levy and 13,460 votes in favor of the levy. ---------- Update: 9:30 p.m. John Boehner is easily defeating his tea party opponents in the Republican primary race for Ohio's 8th district. Boehner has 71 percent of the votes with the next closest opponent at 23 percent. Ed Fitzgerald is taking care of business in the race for the democratic nominee for governor. Fitzgerald has 83 percent of the votes with 44 percent of the precincts reporting. ---------- Update: 9:21 p.m. The first round of May 6 votes have been counted for the zoo levy, and Issue 6 is losing by more than a 2-1 margin. With 133 precincts reporting, Issue 6 is losing 20,556 - 9,414. There are still about 900 precincts that have yet to report their May 6 ballots. Issue 1, a statewide issue that would borrow money for infrastructure, is passing with 65 percent of the votes, voting yes. There are still about 6,000 precincts that need to report for Issue 1. ---------- With absentee votes counted, the Columbus Zoo Levy is losing by a 2-1 margin. Among absentee voters 10,684 voted No on Issue 6, while 5,324 voted Yes. Results from today's balloting have yet to be posted. The Columbus Zoo levy would increase from 0.75 mills to 1.25 mills. It would more than double the amount of Franklin County property taxes that pay go toward the zoo and would be permanent. Supporters say the nationally recognized zoo needs the money to renovate and expand facilities at the Powell zoo and build a satellite zoo in downtown Columbus. Opponents argue the tax increase should not be permanent and they say the county has more pressing needs than a downtown Columbus zoo. They also argued that Delaware County voters should help pay for the zoo because their county is home to the zoo. Adding intrigue and angst to the campaign was the entrance of Americans for Prosperty, a Virginia based anti-tax group founded by the Koch Brothers. It mailed flyers urging voters to reject the levy.