Tulsa Air and Space Museum working towards tax exempt status to help museum combat rising costs

TULSA, Okla. — The Tulsa Air and Space Museum is trying to achieve the tax exempt status to help them financially. With this status, Executive Director Tonya Blansett told FOX23 they can put more money into the museum’s programs and exhibits.

Blansett said the status would help them since they’re seeing increased costs over bills and items they need to keep their doors open.

“The museum is a looking glass into the airport and the operations at the airport and all of these different aviation industries,” she said.

The museum is feeling the effects of COVID, the economy and inflation. Blansett told FOX23 that heating their large facility and buying supplies to keep the museum running is hitting them in the pocket.

“Typically, our December heating bill is less than $1,000. This year, it’s about $2,500. So if we look at that growth in the cost for January, February, March and even April, we’re looking at $15,000 to $20,000 that we aren’t expecting to come in utility bills,” Blansett explained.

She continued, “We have to buy essential things to keep our doors open [and] make sure we have the proper facilities for all of our guests. Profit would be much better served if those dollars went into the programming.”

State Rep. John Waldron (D-Tulsa) is trying to get a bill passed that would give the museum a tax exempt status. He said he has been working on it for three years.

“It’s advanced through the House before,” he told FOX23. “I think this time we have an excellent chance because the state has a lot of surplus revenues right now. And we’re in a position to do things in the field of tax reform. I think one great way to use this moment is to support museums like the Air and Space Museum. So it doesn’t become a casualty of COVID.”

Officials say around 65,000 people visit the museum every year. Blansett said they are fundraising currently and hope the bill passes.

In the meantime, the museum is hosting an aviator’s ball and a 5K race for fundraising.

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