By: Josh Merchant
Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr. has proposed a new path forward for the Chiefs to remain at Arrowhead Stadium.
In a letter sent to Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe on July 8, obtained through a Sunshine Law request by The Beacon, White suggested renewing the same three-eighths-cent sales tax that failed last year — but with a big asterisk.
Under this proposal the Chiefs would only receive one-third of that sales tax revenue — equivalent to one-eighth of a cent — rather than half of the revenue under the current tax. The remaining revenue generated by the tax would support health care and public safety.
White’s proposal follows the recent special session called by Kehoe to, among other things, approve a state funding plan to support potential stadium projects for the Chiefs and Royals. Under the “Show-Me Sports Investment Act,” the state would appropriate some tax revenue generated by new stadium projects to help pay off the bonds used to finance construction.
White, who played for the Royals for 18 years, was one of the most vocal critics of last year’s stadium sales tax proposal that was resoundingly rejected by Jackson County voters. Indeed, some have linked an ongoing recall effort against White to the construction lobby, which was frustrated by his opposition to the Crossroads stadium proposal for the Royals.
“Governor, I’m aware that some have tried to suggest that I’m opposed to any level of public funding for these teams,” he wrote in the letter. “That’s just not true … I believe we owe our residents something better: a balanced approach that protects their interests and secures a stronger future for everyone.”
Here’s what White’s plan would mean for Kansas City.
A sales tax split three ways
Under last year’s proposal, all of the three-eighths-cent sales tax’s revenue would have been evenly split by the Royals and the Chiefs. The Royals would have effectively gotten three-sixteenths of a cent to help finance a new downtown ballpark, and the Chiefs would have gotten the other three-sixteenths of a cent to upgrade Arrowhead.
The new plan is still a three-eighths-cent sales tax. But it’s divided into thirds, with each recipient getting one-eighth of a cent:
- The Chiefs would get one-third of the sales tax revenue to fund maintenance, repairs and improvements to Arrowhead Stadium.
- Another third would go to University Health to fund capital improvements. That would help fill some of the gaps left by Trump administration cuts.
- Another third would fund improvements and repairs at the historic downtown Jackson County courthouse, as well as the Family Justice Center at 26th and Holmes streets.
White’s plan would require the Missouri General Assembly to take action — again
There are some hiccups in White’s plan.
Under state law, a sales tax question can be put to voters in order to fund a “capital improvement purpose.”
That’s singular, not plural.
So if Jackson County wanted to put this question to voters, it would need to be three separate ballot questions — one-eighth-cent for the Chiefs, one-eighth-cent for University Health and one-eighth-cent for courthouse and justice center improvements.
White’s letter called that an “impractical path for a unified community plan.”
So he asked Kehoe to support a statutory change that would allow counties to put sales tax questions that fund multiple projects to voters.
Moreover, any sales tax ballot measure likely wouldn’t happen until the next regularly scheduled election in Jackson County, in August 2026.
What about the Royals?
White’s proposal doesn’t outline any funding for the Royals. But that doesn’t mean he’s opposed to a future proposal focused on the baseball side of things.
Local officials around the metro area are waiting for the Royals to take the next step for a new ballpark.
That includes officials in Jackson County, as well as Clay County and Overland Park.
“I can’t imagine why we would want to take any action until (the Royals) have committed to a site and resources that they’re willing to contribute,” Jackson County Legislator Sean Smith told The Beacon last month. “Until they do something, we’re kind of just, you know, waiting in the wings.”
And White stated as much in his letter.
“I also want to be clear about the Royals: I fully support keeping them in Jackson County,” White wrote. “Since the April 2024 vote, the City of Kansas City has taken the lead on identifying a new site and working with the team, and I’ve respected their desire to do so. At the same time, I’ve made it clear to the Royals that Jackson County is ready to support the City’s efforts and is willing to step back in, should the team present a proposal for us to consider or express interest in reengaging. To date, the Royals have not done so.”
The Royals remain mum.
“We’ve been consistent that we’re exploring all options,” Royals spokesperson Sam Mellinger wrote in an email to The Beacon last month, “and when we have something that’s ready to share we will do it.”
This article first appeared on Beacon: Kansas City and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.