By Geena Monahan—For the North Star Reporter
A week after Attleboro Mayor Cathleen DeSimone announced she would abandon plans to restructure Capron Park Zoo and instead fund its operations through fiscal year 2027, the City Council formalized its response by advancing a resolution to ensure oversight and long-term planning for the zoo’s future.
The measure, introduced Tuesday, April 7, by Councilor Jay DiLisio, comes in direct response to the mayor’s April 1 announcement that the city would use free cash to keep the zoo open next fiscal year, reversing an earlier proposal to transition the facility to a wildlife rehabilitation center.
“My responsibility as mayor is to look at every city service through the lens of long-term financial sustainability and what is in the best interest of Attleboro,” said DeSimone. “My original plan was rooted in that responsibility, but I also recognize how much Capron Park Zoo means to generations of families in this community.”
While councilors broadly welcomed the decision, the resolution reflects ongoing concerns about communication, financial sustainability and the need for a clearer path forward.
“This is an important resolution as it memorializes where we are as a city and where we are as a council,” DiLisio said. “It gives us an opportunity to look at different funding options and listen to the public, who have been pretty loud about what they wanted.”
The resolution states that the mayor’s announcement — delivered via public statement — does not in itself constitute a formal mechanism to implement funding or structural changes, which must still proceed through the city’s budget and ordinance process.
It also acknowledges and “appreciates” DeSimone’s reversal, while outlining potential strategies to sustain the zoo beyond FY27. Those include increasing admission fees, pursuing state and federal funding, expanding partnerships, improving operations and identifying bridge funding to support the zoo for at least two additional years.
The resolution further calls for maintaining full operations — including concessions and gift shop services — and ensuring timely procurement processes to support the zoo’s financial health. Councilors approved the resolution in a 9–2 vote, with Councilors Sara Lynn Reynolds and Laura Dolan opposed.
Debate over tone, timeline
Dolan, who voted against the measure, questioned the feasibility of committing to a two-year framework and argued the council was already aware of the zoo’s financial challenges.
“We get financial statements from the zoo every month,” she said. “This should be no surprise.”
Reynolds also opposed the resolution, calling parts of it unnecessary and overly political.
“This is already very memorialized — it’s been all over the city, all over the news,” she said. “I think this is just feeding the drama.”
Other councilors defended the resolution as a way to document expectations and maintain accountability.
“In the past, there have been issues where promises were made and then didn’t happen,” Councilor Erin Morrissey said. “I think it’s important to keep this in here.”
Councilor Ty Waterman and others raised concerns about language referencing retaliation against zoo staff, which was ultimately removed before the resolution advanced out of committee.
Council President Todd Kobus also cautioned against overstepping the council’s role under the city charter.
“One of our biggest points was that the administration could not reorganize without council approval,” Kobus said. “It would be odd for us to then tiptoe up to the line of interfering with the administration.”
Financial questions remain
The mayor’s revised plan relies on approximately $900,000 in free cash — a one-time funding source — to support zoo operations in FY27, as the city faces a projected $2.5 million budget deficit.
That approach drew scrutiny during public comment, including from former mayor and current Bristol County Sheriff Paul Heroux, who argued the zoo’s financial shortfall reflects shifting budget priorities, rather than structural failure.
“The zoo issue is a manufactured crisis,” Heroux said. “Budgets represent priorities.”
Heroux criticized the reliance on one-time funds and outside donations, warning it could create long-term instability.
“A city zoo is not a business — it’s a recreational department,” he said. “No other department is expected to fund itself through outside revenue.”
Leaders of the Friends of Capron Park Zoo said community support has surged, with more than $20,000 raised in just two days as residents rally behind the zoo.
“For 89 years, this has been a place where families connect with wildlife and conservation,” said Jocelyn Varieur, president of the nonprofit. “That legacy continues, but it requires collective support.”
Councilors also pointed to the need for expanded fundraising capacity and a more formal organizational structure, noting that comparable zoo nonprofits generate significantly more annual revenue.
At the same time, officials raised operational questions — including concessions, staffing and underutilized amenities — as part of broader discussions about improving the zoo’s financial performance.
“We’re meeting with Mayor DeSimone Friday (April 10), so stay tuned,” said Varieur. “There’s a lot of planning behind the scenes which I can’t divulge at this time.”
Despite lingering disagreements, councilors said the resolution is intended to keep the issue active as the city enters a critical budget cycle.
“This doesn’t end the conversation — it keeps it very much alive,” DiLisio said.
DeSimone said the city will use the coming year to work with community partners, noting that “any long-term path forward will depend on increased financial support from the Friends of Capron Park Zoo or another organization willing to help support the zoo.”