Metro auditors say the Oregon Zoo lacks the staff and processes to manage its $380 million bond
By Lizzy Acker
Published on April 21, 2026.
The Oregon Zoo is under trouble implementing a $380 million bond passed by voters in 2024, according to an audit by Metro Council auditors. The auditors believe that without changes to the zoo's management, the problems could worsen. The bond is intended to update the zoo for the next 15 years, with projects involving various habitats and areas throughout the zoo’s campus in Washington Park. Despite a promise from voters that Metro would adopt a public plan for the improvements, zoo officials began hiring contractors before the plan was even adopted. An oversight committee that was supposed to review the spending of public dollars did not begin meeting until February 2026. The audit also found that the zoo lacks adequate tools and tools to document the bond progress, and that the scale of the plan may be too big to accomplish.
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