Zoo-museum board in St. Louis turns down fee proposal

ST. LOUIS -- The board that operates the St. Louis Zoo and museums in St. Louis has turned down a proposal to charge admission to visitors who are not from St. Louis city or St. Louis County.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported the Zoo-Museum District Board made the decision Monday after former board chairman Ben Uchitelle asked the group to consider admission fee for non-local visitors to the zoo, Art Museum, Science Center and Missouri History Museum.

Uchitelle estimated the plan would raise an additional $10 million for the zoo alone. He said the change would help preserve quality as annual tax revenue remains stagnant.

Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com