Despite opposition within the Shawnee City Council, a plan to match funds for Shawnee Town 1929’s $10 million expansion project will advance.
The city council on Monday voted 5-2 to match funds raised through private philanthropic efforts for the museum’s three-year capital campaign.
Councilmembers Tony Gillette and Mike Kemmling were in dissent. Councilmember Kurt Knappen was absent.
Donations will be matched up to $5 million
The money raised and matched will go toward new additions to the museum’s campus, including:
- a visitor center,
- four new Town buildings,
- a band shell,
- and retrofitting existing buildings into artifact storage.
“This campaign will complete the physical build out of the site and will allow the museum staff to offer a robust interpretation of Shawnee and expand the regional reach of the museum,” city documents stated.
The city will match donations using liquor tax funds
It would be taken from the Liquor Tax Fund 207, which is a portion of the city’s tax’s revenues that’s dedicated to purchasing, improving and expanding parks and recreational services.
While the city has used funds from its Parks and Pipes Sales Tax for recent Shawnee Town projects — like a planned chapel construction — Parks and Recreation Director Tonya Lecuru said they weren’t looking to do it again for this project.
“We feel that the Fund 207 will, within the period of time, match those funds,” she said.
Two councilmembers opposed the resolution
Kemmling and Gillette both expressed skepticism about spending taxpayer money on the museum.
Gillette said that while he thought the expansion project was a good plan, he wanted it to be successful without using city funds.
“I’m disappointed, not with the program and not with our study,” he said. “But with the way we’re looking to spend and fund this, I’m just having a real hard time with that.”
The campaign moves forward
The next step for Shawnee Town 1929 is to raise money through private donations over the next three years.
In a previous interview, Museum Director Charlie Pautler said it’s important the museum reaches the campaign goal.
“It will fulfill a need that we’ve had really, since the museum was created back in 1966,” Pautler said.
Go deeper: 6 new buildings part of proposed Shawnee Town 1929 upgrade
