Thursday, 19 September 2024

The Kansas City Chiefs To Look For a New Home?

100 Percent Fed Up
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The future for the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs, the defending Super Bowl champions, and the MLB's Kansas City Royals is unclear after Jackson County voters rejected a sales tax measure.

“Jackson County voters rejected a sales tax to pay to renovate Arrowhead Stadium for the Chiefs and build a new stadium for the Royals,” NBC Sports reports.

The measure failed by a 78,352 to 56,606 vote.

Chiefs team president Mark Donovan has threatened the team could leave if the measure didn't pass.

NBC Sports reports:

Chiefs team president Mark Donovan threatened the team could leave if the measure didn’t pass. It could have been an attempt merely to scare voters into extending the 3/8th cent stadium sales tax.

It didn’t work, though, and now the Chiefs’ future really is in doubt.

“We respect the process. We respect the decision of the Jackson County voters,” Donovan said in a prepared statement Tuesday night. “We’re disappointed. We feel we put forth the best offer for Jackson County. We were ready to extend the longstanding partnership that the teams have enjoyed with this county. This is important. . . . We will do and look to do what is in the best interest of our fans and our organization as we move forward.”

Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid commented on the vote:

Per ESPN:

Royals owner John Sherman and Chiefs president Mark Donovan acknowledged long before the final tally that the initiative would fail. More than 58% of voters ultimately rejected the plan, which would have replaced three-eighths of a cent sales tax that has been paying for the upkeep of Truman Sports Complex — the home for more than 50 years to Kauffman and Arrowhead Stadiums — with a similar tax that would have been in place for the next 40 years.

The Royals, who had pledged at least $1 billion from ownership for their project, wanted to use their share of the tax revenue to help fund a $2 billion-plus ballpark district. The Super Bowl champion Chiefs, who had committed $300 million in private money, would have used their share as part of an $800 million overhaul of Arrowhead Stadium.

“We're deeply disappointed as we are steadfast in our belief that Jackson County is better with the Chiefs and the Royals,” Sherman said. “As someone whose roots run deep in this town, who has been a dedicated fan and season-ticket holder for both of these teams, and now leading a remarkable ownership group.”

Donovan said the Chiefs would do “what is in the best interest of our fans and our organization as we move forward.”

That could mean many things: The Chiefs could try again with a reworked plan more agreeable to voters, change their entire funding approach to include more private investment or listen to offers from competing cities and states — such as Kansas, just across the state line to the west — that would provide the public funding they desire.


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