In May, the Kent County Board of Commissioners voted to place a 10-year renewal millage for the John Ball Zoo and the Grand Rapids Public Museum on the November ballot. If approved, the zoo would receive $124 million and the museum almost $70 million over the next 10 years.
“Collectively, we do generate well north of $100 million of economic activity here in Kent County, but we also serve the community in so many ways.”
John Ball Zoo Interim CEO Rob VerHeulen says the two offer scholastic opportunities for local students which have proven so popular, they’ve had to turn schools away.
“We’ll continue our educational opportunities for every school - public, non-public - in Kent County, and we want to hit 100%.”
Museum CEO Dale Robertson says those educational programs would not be possible without the millage.
“We put artifacts and specimens in student hands. That is rare, rare, rare in the museum world. It’s even rarer that we even open up our archives.”
The new millage rate has been reduced from 0.44 mills to 0.4173 under the Headlee amendment, which requires millage rates to be rolled back when property values increase faster than inflation.
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