With New Mayor in N.Y., 9/11 Museum Again Seeks City Funds

Officials of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum will appeal to new New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to reverse his predecessor’s position and pledge municipal funds to help cover the museum’s $60-million annual operating budget, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Former mayor Michael Bloomberg, who also chaired the 9/11 memorial foundation, declined while in office to supply city money for the museum, saying Congress should provide such funding because the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks were a national event. A de Blasio spokeswoman said the new mayor “stands ready to work with” the foundation but also believes the U.S. government “must play a central role” in subsidizing its costs.

The federal government helped pay for the memorial’s construction, but Congress has not allocated operating funds. The foundation is considering an admission fee of $20 to $25 for the museum, which is set to open this spring, and says ticket revenue, gift-shop sales, and on-site donations would cover 60 percent to 70 percent of its costs.