The U.S. Marshals Museum Foundation will continue its fundraising efforts for completion of the museum's "experience," but there is no timeline on how long it will take.

Jim Dunn, president of the Museum Foundation, said Thursday a timeline has not been placed on how long it could take to raise the amount budgeted for the exhibits.

"There simply isn’t a way to estimate the length of time this will take, as we have been saying for a long time," Dunn wrote in an email Thursday.

Fort Smith voters rejected this week by a wide margin a nine-month, 1 percent sales tax that was expected to raise about $15.5 million for the museum's "experience" with high-tech exhibits. Unofficial results from the Sebastian County Election Commission show 6,726 people voted against the temporary sales tax, and 3,670 voted for it. The voter turnout was about 22 percent.

The $19.1 million star-shaped U.S. Marshals Museum building is under construction on Riverfront Drive and is still expected to be completed this fall in time for a 230th anniversary event of the U.S. Marshals Service in September. The museum foundation has raised about $35.4 million in cash, pledges and land.

Construction of the 52,000-square foot museum on Riverfront Drive began last year, following ground work in late 2017 and early 2018. The building alone costs about $19.1 million. About $35.4 million has been raised in cash, pledges and land. About 54 percent of that comes from donors in Fort Smith and Van Buren.

The museum building is expected to be finished in time for a Sept. 24 event that will honor the 230th anniversary of the U.S. Marshals Service with a dedication of the building and the Sam M. Sicard Hall of Honor.