The Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity announced in June it will award $9 million in taxpayer funds for selected museums and educational organizations. Several of the organizations listed have already received millions from taxpayers.
Many of the organizations also receive funding from local tax payers, and some also charge admission fees. One example is the John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids, which will receive $409,600 from the department.
The zoo also gets funding from Kent County. Voters there approved a 10-year 0.44 mill to fund the zoo and the Grand Rapids Public Museum. In 2023 the tax generated $12.1 million, which was split between the zoo and museum. Kent County also contributes operational funding, over $2 million per year to the zoo, according to Crain’s Grand Rapids Business…