Sports
Will Christmas Come Early For The Kansas City Chiefs Franchise Owner?
Kansas might be giving money to Clark Hunt.
The clock is ticking in Kansas for the owner of the National Football League’s Kansas City Chiefs franchise, Clark Hunt, and the owner of Major League Baseball’s Kansas City Royals franchise, John Sherman, to accept funding from the state to build a football venue and a baseball stadium. The deadline is December 31st. But there could be some movement in Kansas three days before Christmas. The Kansas Legislative Coordinating Council is meeting to discuss giving money to Clark for a Chiefs’ venue and while Sherman is not involved in this session, there seems to be a feeling among Kansas politicians that Sherman has decided to move his operation from Missouri to Kansas. So much so that Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson thinks that a deal is nearly done. “Senate President Masterson believes the Kansas City Royals are fully committed to Kansas, which fulfills their obligation regarding the advanced timeline given from the LCC,” a spokesperson said.
The problem began in April 2024 when Jackson County, Missouri voters said no to extending a sales tax that would have funded a Royals’ downtown stadium and a renovation of Hunt’s Chiefs’ football venue. Kansas lawmakers approved a proposal that would see STAR bonds used to help pay 75% of the cost of building two stadiums in Kansas. Additionally, sports gambling and lottery gaming and sales tax revenue from businesses in the stadium development districts would cover bond debt. Another source of revenue to pay off the debt would come from a liquor tax. Kansas lawmakers could use a mechanism that would allow up to 100% of sales tax revenue on alcoholic liquor sales within a stadium district to pay off bonds for the structures. Missouri leaders don’t think there is a done stadium deal in Kansas. They can use the Missouri born Yogi Berra’s quote to prove their point. It ain’t over til it’s over.
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