Mayor, council make good on promise to bring on zoo workers as city employees

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Employees at the Jackson Zoological Park are now eligible for city benefits.

Tuesday, the Jackson City Council approved an ordinance to bring on workers at the park as city employees.

Previously, zoo staffers served as contract workers, meaning they were not eligible for benefits, such as retirement and insurance.

An ordinance adding several zoo positions to the city’s list of job descriptions to the city’s employee compensation plan. Positions added included zookeeper, veterinary technician, animal care supervisor, and development director.

The council approved the measure on a 6-0 vote. The ordinance should take effect 30 days after the passage.

Parks and Recreation Director Ison Harris said the move was needed to help stabilize the zoo and prevent additional employees from leaving.

“We’ve been losing valuable people because of that situation,” he said.

It also comes weeks after negotiations to bring on a zoo management firm fell through.

The Lumumba administration had been in talks with the ZoOceanarium Group to take over park operations. As part of the talks, the city had hoped that the firm would have taken on zoo employees.

Salaries will be funded from a portion of the $1.2 million the city allocated to the zoo for the 2020-21 fiscal year.

Harris said about half of that money was left, with just over four months left in the year. He said any additional expenses will be covered with revenues from ticket sales.

Employees were already being paid out of the $1.2 million allocation. He did not know how much would be needed to operate the West Jackson Park next year.

“We talked to finance several weeks ago, when we had the initial conversation about the zoo next year,” he said. “That’s what we’re walking through to see that process.”

It was not immediately known how many people worked at the zoo.

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