The ballot measure on the 40-year sales tax failed 58% to 42%Getty Images
Jackson County (Mo.) voters last night "rejected a 40-year sales tax" that would have helped pay for a new downtown Royals ballpark in K.C. as well as a "major renovation" of the Chiefs' Arrowhead Stadium. The ballot measure failed 58% to 42%. In his concession speech, Royals majority owner John Sherman said that he and others who backed the ballot measure "respected the voters, but were 'deeply disappointed' in the result." It is "hard to say what the election outcome means for the future of both teams." Prior to the vote, the Chiefs and Royals said that they would "explore all options, if the tax failed." The Chiefs have "considered moving out of Jackson County when their lease of Arrowhead Stadium expires in January 2031, possibly to the Kansas side of the metro area." The Royals’ options are "less clear" (K.C. STAR, 4/3).
The current lease at Truman Sports Complex lasts through Jan. 31, 2031. And while Sherman has said that the Royals would "not play at Kauffman Stadium beyond the 2030 season, the Chiefs are hopeful of remaining at Arrowhead Stadium." While the Royals "insist on playing in a new ballpark, the Chiefs wanted to stay put with a renovation that would have touched every aspect of their 52-year-old building" (AP, 4/2).
