The original Improve Our Tulsa package allocated $65 million for the Gilcrease Museum expansion.
But, a change of verbiage allowed the cost to increase by $55 million without approval from city taxpayers.
“The language was changed from amending the ‘Gilcrease Museum expansion’ project to ‘Gilcrease Museum facilities improvements’,” said City Councilor Grant Miller.
Miller said this was known as a brown ordinance.
“To change the scope of work after the voters have voted on something, you have to actually make an amendment amended. You have to amend the ordinance to fit so that the title is somewhat fits what you're trying to do,” Miller said.
While the change was made legally, Miller said it isn't ethical.
“When we put something in front of the voters. I think that we should stick to what we said," he said.
The overall cost of the project went from $65 million to $120 million.
Mayor G.T. Bynum declined an interview with NewsChannel 8, but provided a statement to address the cost increase:
The City is working through a once-in-generation inflation on all our road and infrastructure projects and the Gilcrease Museum project is not immune to inflation.
Miller said he hesitates to blame all the costs on inflation.
“I just somehow doubt that that's all due to inflation, which is what's being said,” he said.
Miller believes the $55 million in capital funds could be better used elsewhere.
“We could figure out a way to make, to allocate that funding into capital projects that solve the problems, and one of the biggest problems is homelessness,” Miller said.
One argument made in favor of increasing funding for the museum is that the funding will bring in more revenue.
Miller argued Tulsa should prioritize cleaning up the city first.
“If people show up to see the Gilcrease museum and then they go to stay at a hotel and there are people shooting up drugs and they're stepping in trash on the way into their hotel,” Miller said. “And then they destroy their car on the way to the museum because they can't drive on the roads. The museum isn't going to bring in much revenue moving forward so we got to take care of this," said Miller.