The Speaker wants a stadium financial package on the table soon.
Jon Patterson, the Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives, wants Jackson County lawmakers to come up with some plan to keep the Major League Baseball’s Kansas City Royals franchise and the National Football League’s Kansas City Chiefs franchise in the county. “What I can tell you is, I think the time is running out,” Patterson said. “I think it is time for a plan and a course of action.” It has been about 11 months since Jackson County voters said no to extending a sales tax that would have provided funding for a Royals’ downtown stadium and a renovation of the Chiefs facility and that plan was to include erecting a village around the football venue. The Chiefs franchise owner Clark Hunt has not said very much in the past 11 months about his future plans, while the Royals owner John Sherman continues to push for a downtown Royals’ facility.
Hunt is talking to Missouri and Kansas officials about building a stadium-village and Sherman is talking to Missouri and Kansas officials. Kansas has made an offer to both owners. But that offer could be gone by June 30th, 2025. Kansas lawmakers’ proposal would see STAR bonds used to help pay 75% of the cost of building two stadiums in Kansas. Additionally, sports gambling and lottery gaming and sales tax revenue from businesses in the stadium development districts would cover bond debt. Another source of revenue to pay off the debt would come from a liquor tax. Kansas lawmakers could use a mechanism that would allow up to 100% of sales tax revenue on alcoholic liquor sales within a stadium district to pay off bonds for the structures. Patterson thinks there are steps in getting stadium deals done. Jackson County has to provide a plan, then Missouri can help out. The Kansas City stadium game continues.
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Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives Jon Patterson
