The Kansas City Chiefs’ future is in serious doubt after Jackson County voters resoundingly voted against a sales tax extension to fund stadium projects for the Chiefs and Royals.
Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
The unofficial results show the measure failing by a 58%-42% vote margin, according to KansasCity.com.
The existing 3/8-cent sales tax has been paying for the upkeep at the Truman Sports Complex for more than 50 years, according to the report.
🚨🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨🚨
Jackson County, Missouri has voted AGAINST a sales tax extension to fund stadium projects for the #Chiefs.
Seems likely that the #Chiefs will be MOVING elsewhere, per NBC. pic.twitter.com/R3kejkDL88
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) April 3, 2024
Had the ballot been approved, it would’ve funded a brand new stadium for the Kansas City Royals in a neighborhood of the city known for arts, boutique shops, restaurants, breweries, and entertainment. For the Kansas City Chiefs, it would have provided renovations to Arrowhead Stadium.
The Royals wanted to leave Kauffman Stadium and move to a new ballpark, while the Kansas City Chiefs wanted to renovate 52-year-old Arrowhead Stadium with an $800 million project. The Royals went as far as to pledge at least $1 billion from ownership for the $2 billion-plus project, while the Chiefs committed $300 million of private money for their overhaul.
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see, over 78,000 voters rejected both ideas happening.
The Kansas City Royals and Kansas City Chiefs conceded defeat in the wake of the voting:
“We respect the voters of Jackson County and the results of the election today,” Royals Chairman and CEO John Sherman said in a statement. “We will take some time to reflect on and process the outcome and find a path forward that works out for the Royals and our fans.”
Despite the voting disappointment, there is still time to come up with new plans or alterations, as the current lease for Truman Sports Complex will go through January 2031.
Kansas City Chiefs & Royals Have A Storied History In Kansas City, Missouri
Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Getty Images)
The Kansas City Chiefs have been in Kansas City since the 1963 season and with Patrick Mahomes under center, the team has reached four of the last five Super Bowls and won three Lombardi Trophies.
For the Royals, they have been in Kauffman Stadium since 1973 and have played in and won the World Series in 1985 and 2015.
