Columbus Zoo appeals ruling allowing Liberty Township’s ticket fee to fund fire and EMS responses
Appeal follows trial-court decision upholding a township “Protect and Serve” admissions charge
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has appealed a Delaware County trial-court ruling that allows Liberty Township to impose an admissions surcharge intended to fund fire and emergency medical services connected to the zoo’s operations. The dispute centers on whether the zoo can be treated as a “qualifying event venue” under Ohio law and whether the township’s charge can be applied in the way local officials have structured it.
The legal conflict grew out of Liberty Township’s decision in 2025 to create a “Protect and Serve” charge tied to zoo admissions. The township initially set the charge at $1 per ticket and later reduced it to $0.75 after receiving limited admissions information. Township officials have said the charge is meant to offset public-safety costs associated with responses to the zoo, which sits on tax-exempt land within the township.
What the court ruled on January 28, 2026
On Jan. 28, 2026, a visiting judge in the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas ruled that Liberty Township can move forward with the admissions charge as applied to the Columbus Zoo. In the ruling, the court concluded the zoo qualifies under the statute’s definition of covered venues because it is a permanent facility on tax-exempt land with capacity thresholds and because it hosts a range of public activities beyond standard zoo visitation.
The court decision addressed the zoo’s effort to block collection of the fee while the case proceeds. Township leaders have also argued that without a mechanism to recover costs, Liberty Township and City of Powell taxpayers effectively subsidize services connected to a high-traffic regional destination.
Core factual disputes: scope, scale, and how the fee is calculated
At issue is Ohio House Bill 315, enacted in 2024, which permits townships to adopt a “protect and serve charge” of up to $1 per admission for certain large, tax-exempt venues, with statutory limitations and procedural requirements such as public hearings. The zoo maintains the law was designed for facilities such as theaters and concert venues and should not apply to a nonprofit zoological institution.
Liberty Township has cited significant public-safety expenses connected to responses at the zoo. The zoo has emphasized that it operates its own on-site safety and EMS capabilities and has stated that the township’s role is concentrated in higher-acuity incidents requiring transport support.
Attendance cited in the dispute includes 1.8 million visits in 2024.
Township cost figures cited in public reporting include approximately $260,000 in 2024 fire and EMS services and higher totals asserted for later periods.
The zoo has argued that, at full statutory maximums, the charge could exceed the township’s service costs depending on how admissions are counted and applied.
What the appeal could change
The appeal asks the next court to review key statutory questions, including whether a zoo can be treated as a qualifying event venue and whether the township’s approach properly ties the charge to admissions in a way contemplated by the law. The outcome could influence how other Ohio townships and tax-exempt attractions define responsibility for public-safety costs at large destinations.
The case remains pending on appeal, and no public timetable has been set for a final appellate decision.