TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Iorio Stunned Activities At Zoo Didn't Raise Flag

ADVERTISEMENT

By STEVE ANDREWS

sandrews@wfla.com

Published: December 17, 2008

TAMPA - Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio said the lack of oversight at the Lowry Park Zoo is astonishing.

With a zoo board meeting looming Thursday that could lead to the ouster of zoo President and CEO Lex Salisbury, the mayor said she doesn't understand how some board members seemed to know so little about Salisbury's mingling of zoo and private business.

A city audit released Friday said Salisbury routinely took zoo animals, equipment and supplies for his private ranch and for Safari Wild, a for-profit exotic-animal park he is building in Polk County. The audit said Salisbury should repay the zoo at least $202,000.

"It really has caused us to wonder how all this could've gone on so long without anyone raising a red flag about it," Iorio said.

Iorio said some board members didn't even know basic information like how much the zoo was paying Salisbury. Auditors reported that with salary and benefits, Salisbury pulled in an annual package worth more than $330,000.

"When we briefed them, some members of the committee were unaware of what Lex made," Iorio said.

Salisbury's attorney Robert McKee said the mayor labeling media reports as "Rhino-Gate" was inappropriate and may have influenced city auditors.

"I'll tell you what's inappropriate is what's been going on at the zoo, for a long period of time," Iorio said.

Zoo board of director meetings are typically closed. The mayor says Thursday's meeting should be open.

"You have a meeting coming up Thursday that strikes at the very core of this public zoo that is partially funded by public dollars; that meeting should be open to the media," Iorio said.

The mayor reiterated that Salisbury needs to go as soon as possible.

"There's an enormous scope of irregularity," Iorio said. "People who conduct themselves in that fashion are not entitled to severance packaging."

Reporter Steve Andrews can be reached at (813) 221-5799. Keyword: Safari Wild for complete coverage of Lowry Park Zoo-Safari Wild.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT