Credibility
It should not have taken a public outcry for zoo board officials to come to that decision. And now that the board has said it will release "preliminary written findings and recommendations," it is important to define what that means in the eyes of the public: It means release all of the details the board received from Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP, the law firm the board hired to conduct the internal investigation.
It was unacceptable that the board initially refused to divulge details about how former president and CEO Tom Stalf and former chief financial officer Greg Bell were able to allow family members to use zoo-owned housing and zoo-controlled tickets to local shows and concerts.
The public knows those details because of Dispatch reporting earlier in March that prompted the zoo board's internal investigation. What we don't yet know is whether the internal investigation revealed anything beyond what was covered in the Dispatch stories.
The zoo may not be required legally to turn over documents, but for the sake of the transparency, it must provide full disclosure to maintain public trust.
We applaud the board of directors for launching an investigation and now pledging to release findings, and we are eager to learn why board members didn't know about the questionable activities of their top executives before the Dispatch investigation, and what the board will do to make sure such things never happen again.
Central Ohio residents deserve far more than just a scratch of the surface. They have supported the zoo financially and otherwise since its beginning 95 years ago.
Columbus City Council adopted a resolution in November 1926 requesting that the state develop a 21-acre game refuge on lands east of the Scioto River in southern Delaware County. The first animals – reindeer donated by The Dispatch – went on display on Oct. 4, 1927. Since then, Columbus area residents have pumped millions of dollars and countless volunteer hours into the institution that made history in 1956 when Colo became the first gorilla to be born in captivity.
In an editorial published online last week, we joined the Franklin County
commissioners in their call for swift release of records that will shed light on not only this apparent abuse of authority, but also the checks and balances that were or were not in place at the time.
"The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is not only a world-class attraction for our community, but also a community investment," the Franklin County Board of Commissioners said in a written statement.
The zoo board can not afford to fumble this one with anything less than full disclosure and changes in its operation.
Stalf's and Bell's resignations last Monday and Attorney General Dave Yost's plans to investigate came on the heels of a Columbus Dispatch investigation into the apparent misuse of zoo assets.
After learning of the Dispatch's investigation, Shumate, the chair of the zoo's 23-member board, asked for the internal review “to make sure we've got all the facts.”
Board member Stephanie Hightower said the incident was "not a good look for a nonprofit entity."
It's beyond that. It's a terrible look, and board members are not the only ones who need all the facts.
The former zoo executives who resigned last week created an image problem for themselves and the zoo. It's a real head-scratcher when anyone paid so well – Stalf received $269,023 as a base salary and $488,486 in total compensation, while Bell received $224,388 in base salary and $362,355 in total compensation – would risk their jobs for perks they easily could pay for.
Candor is especially important if and when the zoo seeks to renew the tax levy approved by voters in 2015. It was a 10year levy, which means that without a windfall of cash from other sources, the board likely would have to come back to voters in four years to seek renewal.
As zoo leaders prepare whatever they plan to release on Tuesday, it's an opportunity for them to take a good look in the mirror and ask themselves whether they want to fully set the record straight now, or take a chance that voters will forget this unfortunate incident – and risk losing 20% of their budget.
Editorials are The Dispatch Editorial Board's fact-based assessment of issues of importance to the communities we serve. These are not the opinions of our reporting staff members, who strive for neutrality in their reporting.