SOUTH BEND — Wild nights may soon benefit wildlife in St. Joseph County.
Potawatomi Zoo officials on Tuesday introduced a proposal for a countywide food and beverage tax to support the facility’s 20-year, $37 million master plan.
“We are an old zoo, and our zoo exhibits have been around (for decades), so really this will allow us to make major updates to our buildings and grounds, as well as bring in new animals,” Executive Director Marcy Dean said.
As far as pushing for a countywide tax as opposed to a citywide tax, “We’re essentially a countywide economic driver, and also, we believe, a countywide quality of life initiative,” Dean said.
The 0.25 percent tax would apply to any transaction in which food or beverage is “furnished, prepared, or served” by a retail merchant for consumption “at a location or on equipment provided by a retail merchant.”
That includes food and beverage items purchased at bars and restaurants or from a caterer, along with deli items such as fried chicken that are cooked or heated on premises.
Uncooked eggs, fish, meat and poultry would be excluded, as would groceries and other items that are exempt from sales tax.
The tax would generate about $1 million in annual revenue in support of improvements such as new animal exhibits, an education center, a restaurant, and new play areas, Dean said.