LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              March 9, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Tom Ramsay, Chair, House Committee on County
               Affairs
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB1289  by Garcia (Relating to the authority of certain
               counties to provide or operate a zoo or an aquarium.), As
               Introduced
  
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*  No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.                    *
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Local Government Impact
  
The bill would allow certain counties to acquire, equip, maintain,
construct, or operate a zoo or aquarium or to contract with a
municipality within the county to acquire, equip, maintain, construct, or
operate a zoo or aquarium. The bill would apply only to Dallas and
Harris counties.

If either county were to implement the provisions of the bill, the
estimated annual operational costs only, based on the budget of existing
city zoos in Houston and Dallas, could be in a range from $8.1 million
(Houston zoo's current budget) to $19 million (Dallas zoo's current
budget).  A portion of the operating expenses would be offset by revenue
from admission fees.
  
  
Source Agencies:   
LBB Staff:         JK, DB