Frank White vetoes stadium tax for April ballot. Where does that leave Chiefs & Royals?

With only hours to spare Thursday, Jackson County Executive Frank White vetoed an ordinance that would have put a 3/8th-cent sales tax renewal on the April ballot to fund sports stadiums for the Chiefs and Royals.

Within 45 minutes of the veto being announced, four county legislators said publicly that they sided with White. That’s a key number because in order to override White’s veto, the County Legislature – which has nine members — would need six votes.

Together, these actions place doubt on whether anything more will be done to meet a Jan. 23 deadline to put the stadium tax decision in front of voters this spring.

Criticized in recent months for what some see as trying to stall the entire process, White remained adamant as he announced his veto that he was working on behalf of taxpayers. He said that getting a “favorable agreement for Jackson County would require further in-depth discussions and thoughtful negotiation.”

“This proposed sales tax would generate over $2 billion from our residents, yet there is no clear understanding or assurance regarding the teams’ commitments and contributions to the county,” White said in an emailed news release. “It’s not a good deal for taxpayers and I cannot support an agreement that is not in their best interest.”

Three county legislators — Legislative Chair Jeanie Lauer, Vice Chair Megan Marshall and Jalen Anderson, 1st District Legislator at-large — issued a statement together in support of White’s veto. Sean E. Smith, legislator for the 6th District, also went with White in a separate statement.

The Royals are seeking to use the sales tax to help fund building a new downtown ballpark — but they’ve not yet announced their location. The team has more recently focused their conversations on a South Loop site in the East Crossroads occupied by the former Kansas City Star press pavilion, sources have told The Star.

The Chiefs have consistently stated their intentions to renovate Arrowhead Stadium.

The two teams released a joint statement Thursday after White’s veto: “We respect the County Executive’s veto authority. We will continue working with the legislators to ensure that this ordinance is on the ballot on April 2 so that Jackson County voters have the opportunity to decide on the extension of the current 3/8th-cent sales tax.”

The current stadium leases at the Truman Sports Complex expire in 2031. Although some legislators pointed out Thursday that April isn’t the only ballot in 2024 or in the years ahead of that expiration date, both teams have targeted April for the measure. They are said to have support from the current governor’s office, which has pushed their urgency.

The three county legislators who released a statement together said they “will vote to sustain” the veto and push for further negotiations.

“As your elected representatives, we are dedicated to ensuring that any agreement with the Kansas City Royals and Kansas City Chiefs aligns with the best interests of our community and reflects a balance of fairness and responsibility,” the statement from Lauer, Marshall and Anderson said.

Those three also detailed 10 “unresolved issues,” which included wanting the Royals and The Chiefs to commit to keeping “their front offices, training facilities, and essential operations within Jackson County,” which White raised as a concern ahead of his veto.

Smith said that though some terms had been “verbally agreed upon” by the teams, there still wasn’t a signed memorandum of understanding, or letter of intent.

“While I am anxious to put the issue of the Stadium Tax on the ballot for voters to decide, I do have an obligation to ensure that the key terms have been sufficiently agreed to by all parties before this goes to the vote of Jackson County citizens,” Smith said. “I’m confident that the teams and the County along with the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority can reach an agreement promptly and retain this on the ballot if all parties devote the next several days and endeavor to reach mutually acceptable agreements.”

On Jan. 5, the Chiefs and Royals released a joint statement outlining concessions they had made with the county during negotiations relative to the existing lease. They agreed to cover stadium insurance costs and to redirect the park tax back to the county, which the teams estimated would save the county $200 million over the lifetime of a proposed 40-year lease.

On Jan. 8, county legislators voted 8-1 to approve ballot language for the new 3/8th-cent sales tax to replace the current one that expires in September 2031. White wasn’t in favor of that at the time and wanted more time to get additional concessions from the teams for the county in the deal.

White had until 11:59 p.m. Thursday to veto the ordinance before it became law.

The County Legislature meets on Monday, when legislators would have an opportunity to override the veto.

This story was originally published January 18, 2024 at 4:26 PM with the headline "Frank White vetoes stadium tax for April ballot. Where does that leave Chiefs & Royals?."