KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs and the Kansas City Royals issued a joint statement Friday afternoon to remain in Jackson County and pledging more than $200 million in new economic benefits if voters approve a sales tax extension in April, but Jackson County Executive Frank White said no agreement has yet been reached with the clubs.
“It is important for the community to understand that while discussions are ongoing, no agreement has been finalized with either team,” White said in a statement.
“I will not support any ballot issue until we have reached an agreement that aligns with the best interest of Jackson County and our residents.”
The primary issue at stake is the three-eighths of one cent sales tax first approved by Jackson County voters in 2006 for the renovation and upkeep of GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium and Kauffman Stadium. The current tax expires in 2031. A proposed initiative for the April ballot would extend the sales tax for 40 years through 2071 for the duration of the proposed lease for the Royals at a new downtown stadium. The sales tax would include funding the “long-term use, repair, maintenance, operation and occupancy of Arrowhead Stadium” as well. However, the Chiefs have indicated their preference for a 25-year extension of their lease for Arrowhead Stadium which currently runs through January 2031.
After the team’s win over Cincinnati Sunday, Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt reiterated his preference for his club to continue calling Arrowhead Stadium its home.
“Yeah, nothing’s changed from our perspective,” Hunt said. “We’re still focused on GEHA Field at Arrowhead. We believe it’s one of the best stadiums in the National Football League. We hope to make it our home for at least another 25 years.”
In exchange for committing to remain in Jackson County, the teams in their joint statement proposed picking up the cost for insurance coverages at their stadiums — a cost currently covered by the County. The clubs project this to save the county approximately $80 to $100 million during the term of the new leases.
The teams also proposed allowing the county to reallocate the existing park property tax for other uses by the county during the terms of the new leases. The clubs say this will free up approximately $140 million for the county over 40 years.
The teams also committed to “entering into a robust community benefits agreement similar to agreements by other NFL and MLB teams for other venues providing for various initiatives that will benefit the citizens of Jackson County.”
Last month, Jackson County legislator DaRon McGee proposed an ordinance would would place a renewal of the sales tax for a period of 40 years. The deadline to certify the issue for the April Ballot is Jan. 23.
Leases for both teams run through the 2030 MLB and NFL seasons, but both clubs have expressed a desire to accelerate the timeframe. The Royals’ tentative plans call for a new downtown stadium in place for the 2027 or 2028 season, which would allow the Chiefs to begin improvements on Arrowhead Stadium before the end of the lease.
White’s statement indicated that discussions between the county and the clubs remain ongoing but he questions rushing into an agreement.
“We are mindful that we have weeks until the April ballot deadline,” White said. “But we also have seven years remaining on our current leases with both teams, providing us a valuable window to thoroughly evaluate all proposals.”
This is the first time that the Royals have made a firm commitment toward remaining in Jackson County. Clay County Commissioner Jason Whithington took to social media stating that county and North Kansas City officials were informed Friday morning that the Royals were backing a Kansas City, Missouri, site in Jackson County, specifically the site of the former Kansas City Star printing facility. He also claimed the City of Kansas City was willing to underwrite bonds for the project.
“Clay County was adamant that we would not backstop the bonds, that we wouldn’t give them a full 1% sales tax, and we wouldn’t do 40 years,” Withington wrote.
