A Delaware County judge has cleared the way for Liberty Township to enact a $1 fee on Columbus Zoo and Aquarium tickets.
On Friday, Delaware County Common Pleas Judge James Schuck denied the zoo's request for a preliminary injunction to temporarily delay the fee, which the ruling says goes into effect on Monday.
Township trustees established the fee on July 1 to help pay for emergency responder services to the zoo. The township says it provided almost $300,000 in fire and EMS services to the zoo.
The zoo argued that state law prevents the township from collecting the "Protect and Serve Charge," because it is not a "qualifying event venue" as defined by state law.
The law defines that as a "theatre, concert hall, entertainment venue, or similar space for hosting performances or events" that has a capacity of at least 2,000 and is tax-exempt.
The zoo also argued that the township would receive a windfall.
Schuck wrote in his decision that the zoo cannot show that it will suffer lasting harm.
The judge also wrote that the township is not imposing the fee on zoo patrons but on the zoo itself. He wrote that it's up to the zoo to decide if it wants to pass along the fee to visitors.
In an email Friday, zoo spokeswoman Nicolle Gomez Racey said: "Liberty Township has no legal authority for this tax to be imposed on our guests. We are continuing to make our legal case, and we are confident the court will ultimately affirm our position."
