KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — Buffalo County commissioners have refused to provide $225,000 more to support The Archway in Kearney.
The board voted Tuesday against giving $75,000 a year for the next three years to the tourist attraction. The city of Kearney and Buffalo County each gave The Archway $75,000 annually for 2014, 2015 and this year. The Kearney Visitors Bureau provided $110,000 in 2014 and $150,000 annually since.
Commissioner Ivan Klein and others expressed concerns about the county’s budget situation in the face of pending state mandates.
The Archway features exhibits commemorating the Oregon, Mormon and California pioneer trails and the nation’s highway systems and railroads. It has struggled since opening in 2001 and was forced into bankruptcy in 2013 following years of disappointing attendance.