Chiefs President Says Team Could Leave Kansas City After Stadium Tax Vote
Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Chiefs fans are willing to lose body parts in subzero temperatures to cheer for their team. But whether they get to watch their beloved team in Kansas City anymore depends on how much they are willing to pay in taxes.
As the celebrations from the Chiefs' third Super Bowl win in the last five years die down, Kansas City has begun getting back to business. Specifically, the business of whether the residents of Kansas City are willing to vote for a new tax that will keep the Chiefs and Royals in town.
On April 2, residents will either cast their ballots to keep the current tax bill in place. Or, usher in a new bill that will allot funds for the Chiefs and Royals to use for stadium upgrades and maintenance.
Patrick Mahomes, #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs, runs onto the field during pregame against the Seattle Seahawks at Arrowhead Stadium on December 24, 2022, in Kansas City, Missouri. (David Eulitt/Getty Images)
As Chiefs President Mark Donovan says, the team would want to stay in KC, but there is no guarantee that they will.
“I just know that for us, the Chiefs, we have to look at all of our options.,” he said.
When pressed specifically about the possibilities of the Chiefs relocating, Donovan was blunt.
“I think [the options] would have to include leaving Kansas City. But our goal here is we want to stay here. And we're willing to accept a deal, which is actually better for the country, to stay here.”
A general view as the sun sets during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium June 10, 2008 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
According to Fox News:
The Chiefs are aiming to overhaul Arrowhead Stadium with renovations that cost $800 million, while the Royals have announced plans to move out of Kauffman Stadium and into the downtown area of the city by the 2031 season (when the current tax deal expires, and as their current lease ends in 2030).
If voters vote to repeal the current tax and replace it with the new proposal, which will last 40 years, the Chiefs and Royals have agreed to sign leases that will keep them in the city throughout the duration of the new tax law.
While Donovan stresses that the vote does not bring “new taxes,” critics fear that the renovations to the stadiums and the building plans for the Royals stadium, in particular, could force local businesses to relocate or shut down.
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