Privatize zoo, councillors urged

Don Peat
City Hall Bureau

The elephants are lucky they’re leaving.

A review of the city’s core services suggests selling the Toronto Zoo.

It’s the latest city asset KPMG recommends the city wash its hands of.

Mayor Rob Ford dodged a question Wednesday about whether he’d sell it.

“This is about priorities and what we can afford,” Ford said when asked directly about the suggested zoo selloff.

At its meeting Thursday, the parks and environment committee will consider pulling the city out of the business of running the Riverdale Farm, the High Park zoo and the Far Enough Farm on Toronto Island.

Councillors on the executive committee will have to mull selling off the Toronto Zoo, too, at next Thursday’s meeting.

Selling the zoo would yield $3.5 million in net savings, according to a confidential document viewed by the Sun.

The zoo won’t be the only city facility that could be up for sale.

Consultants also recommend councillors consider selling one or more of the city’s theatres, specifically the Toronto Centre for the Arts.

Weeks before the Canadian National Exhibition starts, the report recommends councillors think about making the CNE independent from the city.

FINANCIAL JUNGLE

- Sell the zoo to private owners.

- Partner or give the zoo to the federal government or other governments.

- Create a non-profit entity to run and operate the zoo.

- Integrate finance, infrastructure management and administration services with the city.

KPMG study urges Toronto City councillors to privatize zoo:

uly 21, 2011
KPMG report advocated selling the Toronto Zoo, Exhibition Place and city-owned theatres.
At its meeting Thursday, the parks and environment committee will consider pulling the city out of the business of running the Riverdale Farm, the High Park zoo and the Far Enough Farm on Toronto Island.
Councillors on the executive committee will have to mull selling off the Toronto Zoo too.
Selling the zoo would yield $3.5 million in net savings, according to a confidential document viewed by the Sun.
Options being considered:
- Sell the zoo to private owners.
- Partner or give the zoo to the federal government or other governments.
- Create a non-profit entity to run and operate the zoo.
- Integrate finance, infrastructure management and administration services with the city.

Suggestions by commenters:

City of Toronto - Toronto Zoo
CRAWSHAW GRAHAM Senior Veterinarian KEEP THIS GUY $117,675.18
DUNCAN CHARLES Manager, Computer & Telecommunication Services $105,650.53
EVANS PETER Chief Executive Officer $109,166.32
GUNTON SUSAN Director - Planning & Analysis $128,574.22
HALE ROBIN Chief Operating Officer $180,358.14
MORRIS ERIC Director - Facilities & Services $109,973.53
RAPLEY WILLIAM Exec Director - Conservation, Education & Research $146,863.43
SHALAPATA CURTIS Manager, Human Resources $101,542.97
WHITE CALVIN CEO - partial stand-in salary-usually more $289,321.44
WHITTAM PAUL K. Manager - Financial Services $110,208.76
YOUNG SHANNA Executive Director - Marketing & Communications $149,212.49

$28.00 for admission (including parking)
1.3 M people visit the Zoo each year.
If the City will only net 3.5 M in savings, put ticket prices up by $3 to break even.

Additional thoughts from a private email:

Just on the shortlist of salaries above, they should keep the vet... and got rid of the rest who are just useless paper-pushers. With 1 manager for every 3 workers, there's plenty more to cut that isn't shown here, so it could easily be turned into a money-maker by the right owners. Most of the real animal people are long gone though.

I'm sure developers or other government controlled factions would love to get their mitts on that 710 acres. Animals will be the last thing on their minds. This is just a political game that rears it's head occasionally.

My thoughts:

When the Senior Veterinarian is one of the lowest salaried individual's at a zoological faculty, surpassed by, for example a Marketing and Communications Director it looks like this thing has been a monkey f*ck for a long time. Ax the "human resources" bs and ask the simple question, "who want's to shovel shit, and who doesn't." To quote John Milton, "case closed."