POWELL, Ohio — The Liberty Township Board of Trustees voted Monday night to reduce the " protect and serve fee " charged to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium to 75 cents.

The township said the decision followed the zoo’s recent release of attendance information, which allowed the township to better estimate the fee needed to cover the cost of fire and emergency medical services at the facility.

According to the township, the Liberty Township Fire Department spends hundreds of thousands of dollars annually supporting the zoo’s safety needs, including EMS and fire runs, specialized training for incidents such as venomous animal bites and fire prevention efforts.

Officials said the zoo does not pay property taxes to offset those expenses.

Earlier this year, Liberty Township officials approv

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