There is a tough road ahead to get the sales tax extension question on the ballot.
The stadium game in Kansas City has taken a slight turn. The owners of the Major League Baseball Kansas City Royals franchise and the National Football League Kansas City Chiefs franchise have told Jackson County, Missouri politicians. We will stay in Kansas City and Jackson County if voters say yes in an April referendum to extend a 3/8 of a cent sales tax to fund either new or renovated venues for the two sports businesses. The Kansas City Royals owner John Sherman wants a ballpark built downtown while the Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt will take a renovated stadium in the Truman Sports Complex. The Jackson County legislators have until January 23rd to decide if they want voters to say yes or no on continuing the sales tax.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas is on board claiming that if Kansas City wants to be a big league town, the sales tax measure has to be on the ballot in April and has to be passed by voters. “Retaining the Chiefs and Royals and the events hosted at the team’s facilities like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift and global sporting events like the MLB All-Star Game and the World Cup is a priority for Kansas City at a fair value for our taxpayers. The Chiefs, the Royals, County Executive White, and the County Legislature have made great strides in their efforts to ensure voters have a fair deal to evaluate on the April 2024 ballot.” But Jackson County Executive Frank White, a former Royals player, is not in a rush. The two sports businesses have leases with Jackson County that end in seven years. The Royals owner John Sherman is looking at sites in North Kansas City and there seems to be a notion that Kansas might go after the two franchises.
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