KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Jackson County voters have resoundingly voted against a sales tax extension to fund stadium projects for the Chiefs and Royals.
Question 1 on the Jackson County April 2 ballot would extend a stadium sales tax to go toward building a new stadium for the Kansas City Royals and renovating Arrowhead Stadium for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Barring a remarkable change, that effort appears to have failed.
With 100 percent of its precincts reporting, Kansas City voted 30,791 for No, and 22,399 for Yes. Jackson County voted along the same lines: No - 47,561, Yes - 34,207.
The combined total:
| YES | NO |
|---|---|
| 56,606 (42 percent) | 78,352 (58 percent) |
The stadium sales tax extension would have raised about $1.7 billion over 40 years to fund a new baseball park for the Royals in the East Crossroads.
KC Tenants, the organization most outspoken against the sales tax question, posted to social media to celebrate a victory.
“We respect the voters of Jackson County and the Democratic process,” Royals owner John Sherman said. “We will take some time to reflect on and process the outcome and find a path forward.”
Former Kansas City Mayor Sly James and Kansas City Chiefs president Mark Donovan conceded the race at a “Vote Yes” event on Tuesday evening.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas also released the following statement in reaction to the “No” vote prevailing.
The current lease lease at Truman Sports Complex lasts through Jan. 31, 2031. And while Sherman has said the Royals would not play at Kauffman Stadium beyond the 2030 season, the Chiefs are hopeful of remaining at Arrowhead Stadium.
Last fall, the Royals unveiled two potential locations for their ballpark district, one on the eastern edge of downtown and the other across the Missouri River in Clay County, Missouri. But a self-imposed deadline to finalize their location lapsed without a plan, and in February, they finally announced they had scrapped both concepts and chosen a different downtown spot.
The new area, known as the Crossroads, has a vibrant arts and restaurant scene, and it is just blocks away from the T-Mobile Center and the bustling Power & Light entertainment district. It also is close to the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and the 18th & Vine district, which is home to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
But even then, plans remained vague. The latest ballpark renderings were made obsolete just last week when the Royals acquiesced to Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas’ request that a major street that would have been part of the stadium footprint remain open; Lucas did not endorse the tax initiative until the Royals agreed to the change.
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