Lawmaker says private funding option for zoo
If the state cannot find the money to restore the $4 million in zoo funds that Governor Deval Patrick vetoed from the budget, a corporate sponsor willing to pay for naming rights should be located, one veteran House Democrat said yesterday.
State Representative Alice Wolf, of Cambridge, said she would vote to override Patrick’s veto, but said she would push for a private-sector partnership as a way to preempt the spending restoration or if the vote does not materialize, as House members nervously eye the state’s revenue picture.
Wolf, House chair of the Elder Affairs Committee, said the Franklin Park Zoo, in particular, has high-value because of its location in a low-income urban area.
“I’m thinking we should have the
Asked about Wolf’s proposal, Patrick demurred, pointing out that Economic Development Secretary Gregory Bialecki was in talks with zoo officials. “Maybe that’s an option,’’ Patrick said.
