Liberty Township challenges Columbus Zoo plan for private ambulance amid ongoing ticket-fee and EMS dispute

A long-running public-safety funding conflict adds a new flashpoint

Liberty Township officials are challenging the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium’s exploration of a private, transport-capable ambulance option, framing it as the latest development in a broader dispute over how emergency services at the zoo are funded and delivered.

The zoo sits on tax-exempt land owned by the City of Columbus within Liberty Township, Delaware County. That geography has fueled years of tension over the costs of public safety at a major visitor destination that is outside Columbus city limits.

How the “Protect and Serve” per-admission charge became central

In July 2025, Liberty Township’s board approved a per-admission “Protect and Serve Charge” designed to offset the township’s fire and emergency medical service costs associated with runs to the zoo. The charge was set at up to $1 per admission under a state law enacted in 2025 (House Bill 315), which authorizes townships to impose a per-admission fee on certain large, tax-exempt venues.

The zoo sued in Delaware County Common Pleas Court in August 2025, seeking to block the charge and arguing the law was not intended to apply to institutions like the zoo. Township leaders responded that the fee is lawful and tied to public-safety readiness demands at the 540-plus-acre complex, which hosts daily attendance and seasonal events.

What the private-ambulance issue is, and why it matters

The zoo already maintains on-site emergency medical personnel for immediate care. The dispute centers on transport: when a patient needs to be taken to a hospital, transport has historically relied on local public responders and established EMS systems. Township officials have objected to the zoo’s potential move toward a privately operated ambulance arrangement, arguing it could affect coordination, oversight expectations, and the funding rationale behind the per-admission charge.

Ohio law sets licensing and operational requirements for ambulance services. Any shift toward a private transport model would require compliance with state rules governing ambulances and emergency medical service organizations, in addition to clarifying how 911 dispatch, mutual aid, and scene command would function at a high-traffic regional venue.

Key points of disagreement

• Cost responsibility: Liberty Township argues residents and local businesses should not bear unreimbursed costs tied to high visitor volumes at a tax-exempt venue.

• Venue classification: The zoo disputes being treated like an “event venue” for purposes of the per-admission charge.

• Operational control: The township has emphasized systemwide readiness, specialized training, and response capacity; the zoo has emphasized mission funding and limiting new admission-related charges.

At stake is whether a major nonprofit attraction should fund public-safety readiness primarily through a township-collected per-admission charge, direct agreements for services, or a combination of on-site medical staffing and external transport arrangements.

What comes next

The legal dispute over the per-admission charge has moved through the courts, with additional appeals and procedural steps shaping when and how any fee is collected. Separately, if the zoo pursues a private ambulance solution, it would need to define how transport would be integrated into existing emergency response and patient handoff protocols, including 911 coordination and jurisdictional responsibilities at the zoo and adjacent attractions.

For visitors, the practical questions remain straightforward: who responds, who transports, and who pays—yet the answers are being contested in court filings, township actions, and evolving operational plans.