The Arizona State Museum at the University of Arizona — home to more than 13,000 years of cultural treasures but in urgent need of repairs and long denied state funding — is moving ahead with plans to raise rates and fees by as much as 265% after a board of regents committee meeting Thursday.
“Those increased prices are due to the underrecovery of costs in the original 2017 fee proposal,” John Arnold, the UA’s chief financial officer, said during the meeting.
The fee increases affect anyone conducting projects on Arizona state lands that require cultural resource compliance, including utility companies, public agencies, conservation programs and tribal partners.
The change includes increases for administrative, professional and specialist service rates as well as curation fees, or fees to store archival materials. The increase will not impact museum visitors.
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Arnold said the fees were first introduced as part of a proposal in 2017 but were not high enough to pay for the services the museum provides, according to the public notice to increase fees.
“As of June 30, 2024, the cumulative operating deficit attributable to these activities exceeded $2.3M,” it says.
He added that the fee increase will keep students from covering the deficit with their tuition.
“This is a relief to our students who are minorly subsidizing this activity right now,” he said.
The board’s University Governance and Operations committee unanimously approved the proposal which will now head to the full board for further approval.
During the public comment period, the state museum received 46 comments and questions about the proposal. Many were concerned that while large development projects can often absorb the costs, smaller and stewardship-focused initiatives will face the greatest strain.
Pima County urged the museum and the board of regents “to reconsider the fee structure to ensure it is sustainable for all affected stakeholders” in a public comment.
“The proposed fee increases, if adopted without modification, will impose disproportionate financial burdens on public agencies and small-scale project sponsors, potentially discouraging proactive compliance and responsible cultural resource management,” the county wrote.
The museum has been part of University of Arizona since its establishment in 1893 and is a legally recognized research unit under Arizona law making the university responsible for managing and funding the museum’s maintenance.
Another comment urged a redirection of focus to improving museum facilities and financial support from the state, the latter sentiment was echoed by Regent Fred DuVal.
“The board had a point of view that this really is an assignment which the state should have rather than on our backs,” DuVal said, calling back to a year-old board of regents meeting in which the board denied the UA’s request for $50 million in system revenue bonds for the museum’s upkeep.
The museum director’s council had sent a letter on Jan. 15 urging the board of regents to approve the funding request which includes repairs to the electric and plumbing system among other needed improvements.
In September, after denying the request, Regent Gregg Brewster said he’d rather see the money go toward students during the regents meeting on Sept. 26, 2024.
“I would rather see us polish the young people of Arizona with $50 to $90 million in state-funded education than I would like to see the UA have to stand up and deliver because the state has ignored this project for years and years,” he said during the meeting.
The museum’s annual funding comes from a variety of sources, including the UA. Arnold said the museum’s annual budget is about $4.5 million, with the university contributing $2.7 million.
The Arizona State Museum was established in 1893 by the Arizona Territorial Legislature and officially designated the state’s official museum in 1912. It showcases 13,000 years of regional and historical artifacts, taking in an average of 750 to 1,000 cubic feet — or two cargo vans — of bulk archaeological research material every year.
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