Folsom City Zoo at a crossroads as council weighs sanctuary’s financial future
While the Folsom City Council approved the city’s budget this week, the long-term direction of the zoo will depend on an upcoming presentation this fall.
Questions about subsidizing parks and recreation programs with general fund dollars have emerged as the department, combined with facilities, faces deferred maintenance costs between $130 million and $170 million over the next decade. In an interview, City Manager Bryan Whitemyer said the estimate is closer to $165 million.
“Are there programs that we may be subsidizing through general fund dollars that would be better to stop doing so we could then invest those funds into the actual physical asset?” Whitemyer previously said.
The Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary was at the center of the debate. In late May, when the budget was first presented, Vice Mayor Anna Rohrbough expressed concerns about the zoo’s revenue and expenditure gap.
Rohrbough continued to express concerns Tuesday, saying the zoo needed to fix its current financial trajectory. Roughly 62% of the zoo’s $2.7 million budget was funded by the general fund, according to Tuesday’s presentation.
“I was disappointed two weeks ago when I saw the gap widen, and (considering the city’s financial sustainability), I think most people in our city understand why that was disappointing,” she said. “We can’t continue to go on like this.”
Mayor Justin Raithel also suggested the zoo’s municipal structure should be reconsidered.
“I’m not sure that we’re serving the zoo by keeping it where we’re at with the municipal structure, but I’m open to having that discussion this fall,” Raithel said.
That conversation would likely coincide with a sustainability study for parks and recreation services and a consultant-produced economic development study for the zoo.
The reports are expected to examine ways to reduce the cost burden on the city’s general fund. City analyst Jamison Larson said the economic development study will likely identify new revenue-generating options for Folsom to consider, including increasing ticket prices.
During the 2025-26 fiscal year, Folsom increased zoo entry fees to $10 from $7 — helping to increase revenue without significantly affecting attendance. Larson said the zoo was considering another increase from $10 to $12 in January. Further discussion is expected this fall, but initial consultant input supports the increase, according to the City Council presentation.
“A lot of people just said, ‘We really appreciate the value that you bring, and we’re happy to do this,’” Zoo Manager Jocelyn Smeltzer said.
With the recent price hike, the zoo exceeded ticket sale projections by about $136,000, according to Tuesday’s presentation. Overall, the zoo’s 2025-26 fiscal year revenues exceeded expectations, totaling about $1.2 million compared with a projected $955,600. Staff were interested in whether moving the gift shop to the end of the zoo would increase future revenues.
The zoo might create two part-time positions to generate additional cash flow. One development position could increase donations, while the other would focus on event planning. The two roles would be funded by Friends of the Folsom Zoo, a nonprofit fundraising organization.
When asked what would happen if funding support for the new positions ended, Smeltzer said part-time agreements were at-will and the positions could be eliminated if costs outweighed the benefits.
The consultants are also expected to highlight revenue and attraction opportunities that do not involve animals, meaning they would not incur food or veterinary expenses. The potential attractions would be intended to keep people at the zoo longer, increasing spending and sales.
After receiving feedback last month, zoo staff decreased their 2026-27 budget request by about $55,000, in part by eliminating proposed wage increases and keeping many staff members at minimum wage.
“We pay minimum wage for our zookeepers and the (Sacramento Zoo) pays more, and so we train them up and then there’s like a little funnel that goes that way,” Smeltzer said.
While Rohrbough expressed concerns about the zoo’s financial trajectory, she said she loved the attraction and did not want to get rid of any animals already at the facility. She voiced support for a financial analysis of the costs of caring for potential animals before bringing them in.
Rohrbough also questioned where the zoo, which is home to 76 animals, ranked among residents’ top priorities.
“Not one person has brought up the zoo, as their top priority, and so it’s important to me to really think about what our public wants when ... they didn’t want tax increases (and) they don’t want service to be sacrificed in public safety,” she said.
Councilmember Sarah Aquino said the zoo’s budget had not increased at the same rate as other budget areas.
“The reality is the zoo’s budget is going up 10.5 percent,” Aquino said. “You want to know what the city council’s budget is going up? Forty-seven percent.”
The City Council’s budget increase followed a 3-2 vote earlier this year to more than triple council salaries. Aquino and Leary voted against the increase.
