Unified Government may pitch tourism tax increase to raise money for World Cup
Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, staff will likely pitch up to 2% in increases to local tourism taxes to help finance expenses for the rapidly approaching 2026 FIFA World Cup, the county administrator’s office told commissioners during a meeting last week.
With Kansas City’s first World Cup game scheduled for June 16, 2026, County Administrator David Johnston said that despite financial assistance from the state and federal governments, KC2026 and FIFA itself, Wyandotte County will have to put some skin in the game if it wants to be a good host.
“There’s going to be an expectation for capital,” Johnston told the commission. “There is going to be a local contribution to be a good host. And to get us ready for that visitor experience, we have to clean ourselves up.”
One way to do that is by increasing local hotel taxes. Staff from the county administrator’s office told local officials that the Unified Government currently charges an 8% tax on tourism that brought in almost $5 million during the 2025 budget year. Come the end of July, they plan to recommend a 1-2% increase, among other funding mechanisms, as a way to raise money in preparation for the World Cup.
Should the commission approve a 1% increase on the tax, it would mean the local government would have $600,000 more to work with. If a 2% increase passes, that would generate $1.2 million, according to the Unified Government.
Six games will be held in Kansas City next summer, including a quarterfinal in July, which means an estimated 650,000 people are coming to the metro. Unified Government public safety, transit, public works and parks leadership told the commission it’s going to take millions for them to be prepared for that kind of traffic into Wyandotte.
Ultimately, government officials want World Cup prep to not only give the county a facelift but promote economic development and investment from visitors.
Transit
Although KC 2026, a local nonprofit that’s working with FIFA to organize programming and planning for the event, will handle regional transportation to the area, local governments will be responsible for getting people around to area hotels, restaurants and watch parties.
“All the rest of the transportation responsibility is going to be the responsibilities of the local governments, not KC ‘26,” Johnston said, adding that Wyandotte and Johnson counties are discussing plans to collaborate on an airport shuttle that makes a stop in western Wyandotte County and ends in Overland Park.
Public transit is requesting about $3.4 million to expand its service route and increase fleets throughout the 2026 summer.
So far, the department purchased 34 bus shelters scheduled for installation in August and expect digital kiosks down the road. It’s requesting funding to finance its hotel circular route, airport shuttle route, stadium route, staff overtime and ADA services for the IRIS rideshare system.
Public safety
Local law enforcement and emergency services officials told commissioners they need overtime funding, new equipment, emergency vehicles and access to increased staff to support the influx of people anticipated next year.
The Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department also requested equipment in the event of a protest or massive event, heightened response training and added translation services for international visitors.
The department didn’t specify exactly how much it wants in equipment but clarified it doesn’t expect the Unified Government to staff its entire force of more than 300.
The Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office said it’ll cost more than half a million dollars to support inmate transportation, patrol and detention overtime, equipment, increased operations and transferring inmates elsewhere when the jail reaches capacity.
The department doesn’t have a vehicle to transport several people at a time and would like to see that incorporated if possible. It is also 33 employees short.
The Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department is asking for at least two new ambulances, overtime pay, staffing support and potentially two new pumper trucks — valued at at least $2 million in overall requests — by the World Cup.
KCKFD earlier this year told commissioners that its current staffing shortages, dated facilities and limited resources leave it trailing behind national standards during regular times of year. The department is anticipating their daily calls will double to 250 when the World Cup makes its way to KC.
Emergency Operations asked for an expanded emergency operations center that would permit inter-agency collaboration throughout the World Cup. That’s going to cost at least $1 million.
