ATTLEBORO — Mayor Cathleen DeSimone outlined the City’s worsening budget outlook and the financial challenges surrounding Capron Park Zoo during Tuesday night’s Municipal Council meeting, warning that Attleboro faces a $2.5 million deficit this year with a potentially larger shortfall ahead in FY27.
“The City is facing real financial constraints that require us to prioritize essential services and make responsible, long-term decisions,” Mayor DeSimone said.
During her presentation, the Mayor said the zoo’s financial situation has developed over many years. The City has increasingly relied on its general fund to support the zoo’s operation, while expenses continue to rise across all departments.
“For more than 20 years, funding for full-time zoo employees has been a shared responsibility of the revolving fund and the general fund, yet the proportion of the City’s responsibility for full-time zoo staff wages and capital improvement projects has steadily and dramatically increased,” the Mayor said.
Mayor DeSimone detailed steps taken since she took office to stabilize zoo operations, including asking the Council to approve $470,000 in emergency funding through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to cover operating deficits in 2023, establishing a Capron Park Zoo Task Force to examine its finances in 2023, and evaluating long-term options.
“I fully appreciate that the zoo has a long history in the City and that people love and have fond memories of visits to the zoo with their families, as do I,” Mayor DeSimone said. “My job is to plan for the current and future needs of the City and to do the best that I can to serve the residents and taxpayers of this City. It also means making difficult decisions.”
The Mayor said that continuing to fund the zoo under its current structure is not sustainable given the City’s financial outlook. But understanding the zoo’s importance to the community and the need for public discussion about future plans, Mayor DeSimone has asked the Municipal Council to indicate whether it supports using free cash to fund zoo operations in FY27.
“If the Council supports that approach, we will move forward with stronger financial oversight and a clear timeline to develop a long-term plan.” the Mayor said.
Mayor DeSimone also acknowledged the strong public reaction, concerns and different opinions about the plan. She emphasized the need for a more constructive discussion moving forward.
“I understand that residents care deeply about the zoo. I do as well,” she said. “I also understand and sincerely apologize for the fact that last week’s news about the severity of these challenges and the plan to reimagine the zoo came as a surprise to many. There is no good time for bad news but I appreciate that a lot of bad news all at once was not optimal. If there is any upside to the attention generated by recent this news and the public reaction to it, it is that many more people are now fully aware of the City’s budget deficit and the zoo’s financial situation, and time will tell if that awareness results in the public’s sustained support for the zoo.”
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