Chiefs, Royals respond to ‘unresolved’ stadium issues in letter to county legislature
The Chiefs and Royals say they’re finalizing a letter of intent with the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority that represents agreement on “virtually all of the principal terms” for their stadium proposals in the county.
It illustrates a step forward with one body.
But will it be a step far enough with another — you know, like the Jackson County Legislature, which will rule Monday to either keep the 3/8th-cent sales tax renewal on the April ballot or kill the chance for voters to have their say?
In a letter sent late Friday to attorneys for the county legislature, obtained by The Star, the teams insist the “unresolved” issues on their projects are actually resolved. Or close to it. They have not been resolved with the county, which has necessitated the latest points.
The teams noted the letter of intent they sent back the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority (JCSCA) reflects agreement on major items, but also wrote, “The teams are disappointed in the County Executive’s veto of the Ordinance which would deny the voters the opportunity to decide whether to retain the Chiefs and Royals in Jackson County for the long term.”
The teams have recently branched off for negotiations with the JCSCA, which operates the Truman Sports Complex — home to Kauffman and Arrowhead stadiums.
But after county executive Frank White vetoed the sales tax ordinance Thursday, support must now come from the county legislature. Make no mistake: That’s the intended audience for their letter of intent, and particularly its four-page introduction, which seeks to clarify what the teams call “inaccurate information.”
The county legislature initially approved the item’s place on the ballot on Jan. 8, but White’s veto arrived Thursday, the final day allowed, turning it back to the hands of the nine-person legislature for the final decision. In order to override White’s veto and keep the item on the April ballot, the teams need votes from six of the legislature’s nine members.
They’re playing from behind. Four legislators have notably put their names on statements supporting White’s veto.
The latest move from the Chiefs and Royals derives from optimism that the ink on those signatures isn’t dry just yet. Or that at least one of those signatories may be willing to change sides by early next week.
The four-page introduction preceding the letter of intent serves as a direct response to Thursday’s statement by three county legislators — Legislative Chair Jeanie Lauer, Vice Chair Megan Marshall and Jalen Anderson, 1st District Legislator at-large — detailing 10 “unresolved issues” at the heart of their concerns. Sean E. Smith, legislator for the 6th District, sided with White through a separate statement.
The teams refuted the assertion that those 10 issues remain unresolved, writing at one point, “Unfortunately, there is inaccurate information being circulated that the teams have not agreed to a host of principal terms. ... This information is inaccurate, and, as set forth below, all of these issues have been agreed to or the teams have proposed clarifications to a very limited number of issues.”
Which is symbolic of what the process has become in its final stages. The Royals and Chiefs say have found common ground with the sports complex authority, yet they are stuck in place with White, as well as, potentially, the broader authority here: the county legislature.
The latter will be known Monday, when the legislature officially votes on whether to override the veto.
The two teams, for example, released a statement two weeks ago saying they had agreed to return the park tax levy ($3.5 million annually) for other county uses. They also agreed to cover insurance costs for the stadiums. Yet both of those items were listed as unresolved issues in the statement from the three legislators — because while teams agreed to both of those items at the commencement of a new lease, White has sought to secure those items immediately after it’s signed, not a handful of years later.
As part of their Friday cover memo, the teams responded in some fashion to all 10 issues, including one more recently discussed: that the Chiefs have not committed to keeping their training facilities in Jackson County as part of a potential lease agreement.
In response to that, the Chiefs instead wrote: “The current lease does not dictate the location of the Chiefs’ training facility or administrative offices, and at this time, there are no plans to relocate those facilities from their current location. If the Chiefs desire to relocate those facilities in the future, the Chiefs welcome the opportunity to find a suitable site in Jackson County and provide the county the first opportunity to make a proposal for those facilities.”
Among the other items the teams underscored in the cover letter:
• The Royals re-stated their commitment to remain in Jackson County pending the April 2 vote — and pledged to will announce a site by Feb. 29, in order to meet a request by county legislators. They originally said they would announce a site by the end of September, a date that passed nearly four months ago.
• The Chiefs and Royals agreed the county will not be required to fund the demolition cost of Kauffman Stadium once it is vacated by the Royals, who are seeking to use the tax to build a new ballpark downtown. Their recent conversations have focused on a site in the South Loop that formerly served as The Kansas City Star press pavilion, according to sources. The teams say they “are confident that an acceptable arrangement will be developed from various funding options,” though they have not finalized that arrangement.
• In the letter of intent itself, one clause reads: “Each of the Teams acknowledge: (a) the County taxpayers and residents, as well as taxable consumers in Jackson County, are making a substantial and long-term public contribution in the New Stadium Projects through the New Sales Tax, and (b) that such public contribution warrants the Teams’ respective execution of one or more robust Community Benefits Agreements with the County or its designee which reflect the Teams’ respective private commitments to the public.”
The LOI notes nearly three dozen example topics for a CBA and states that the county “intends to convene stakeholder meetings with various interests groups” to exchange ideas. And it adds that the “CBAs will, among other things, reflect the respective commitments of the Teams to make community investments in such programs, initiatives, and objectives which recognize and respond to community needs, including those which are complementary to the respective program sand priorities of the teams.”
The letter of intent also outlines a 25-year lease for the Chiefs with three subsequent five-year team options. It plans a 40-year lease for the Royals with two five-year options. The Royals have a target open date of March 1, 2028.
The teams would split the tax evenly, per the agreement, while both teams would “make a materially substantial contribution” to their projects. The teams would be responsible for cost overruns.
If it passes.
Well, if it even gets to the ballot first.
With days before the Monday’s meeting, even those involved don’t know which it will swing.
The letter of intent would be conditional on several other items in place first, including the community benefits agreement, the sales tax approval, and the Royals relocating from the Truman Sports Complex and acquiring control of whichever site they choose.
The current stadium leases at the Truman Sports Complex expire in 2031. Although some of the legislators pointed out Thursday that April isn’t the last option for a stadium ballot measure, the teams have underscored the importance of that time frame: They have the support of the current governor’s office.
At the cover letter’s conclusion, the teams wrote, “A vote in April is critical to the Chiefs and Royals as they plan their futures. The teams request that the legislature override the County Executive’s veto to provide the voters of Jackson County an opportunity to have their voices heard whether to continue the relationship with the teams that has successfully spanned for over for 50 years.”
This story was originally published January 19, 2024 at 8:52 PM.