2025 Elk Grove Zoo groundbreaking? Creating the aura of inevitability
Although the report was about the Sacramento Zoo's newest addition, a lion named Slamson II, in honor of the National Basketball Association's Sacramento Kings mascot, the story delved into other material. Specifically, the story reported on the proposed relocation of the Sacramento Zoo.
While focusing on Slamson's back story, the report incorporated the proposed $400 million zoo in Elk Grove.
The story titled "Lion King II, Slamson's pride: Sacramento Zoo names latest addition after Kings' mascot" included the following;
"Within the next few years, the Sacramento Zoo will be moving its animal residents to a new location in Elk Grove. It will likely break ground in 2025. Winkler said this will offer more space for animals like Slamson II — meaning, more lions.
"Here, our space is really just set up for a duo, potentially a breeding duo," she said. "At the new zoo, we should be able to have an actual pride of several females and just have an even more natural setup."
Aside from the reporter's omission that the relocation to Elk Grove is proposed, readers and listeners of the story that the story have the impression that the zoo will move. Furthermore, the reporter could have repeated the certainty expressed by zoo officials who claim the groundbreaking could start next year.
Of course, all of this is happening before a finance plan for the multi-million project is revealed. The most pressing question about the relocation is how the project is financed.
Will Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen push another sales tax increase, or will she jack up Mello Roos' fees? Perhaps the city will collateralize property owners to issue bonds, or the mayor can use her extensive influence and convince regional partners to pony up for the zoo.
It is a mystery that Elk Grove taxpayers have not been privy to. If groundbreaking is in 2025, as reported to Cap Public Radio by zoo relocation proponents, it will be a quick turnaround, and taxpayers must be informed post haste.
Given the zoo's confidence expressed to Cap Public Radio, could Mayor Singh-Allen and city executives like city manager Jason Behrnmann and innovations czar Christopher "CJ" Jordan, who is reportedly devising the financing scheme, have conducted sub rosa meetings with the Sacramento Zoo officials and have a fool-proof plan they are rolling out in bits and pieces? Given the scant financing information revealed to date, there is no way of knowing because the public has been shut out.
As the project progresses this year, this much is certain - Mayor Singh-Allen has the support of at least two of her city councilmen, Rod Brewer and Sergio Robles, and probably Kevin Spease and Darren Suen, to approve any finance plan, regardless of feasibility. To this end, the city and zoo officials are creating an aura of inevitability for the relocation project.
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A whole pride of lions? Now that won't be cheap!
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