Royals start campaign committee to promote stadium tax ballot question
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals have started a campaign committee dedicated to promoting the stadium tax ballot question this spring.
The Royals filed paperwork this week to establish the Committee to Keep the Chiefs and Royals in Jackson County.
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On Thursday, the team donated $500,000 to its own cause, according to a filing with the Missouri Ethics Commission.
No Chiefs employees are named as part of the committee at this point, and the team has not donated to the campaign yet either.
A spokesman for the Chiefs has not responded to FOX4’s request for comment while a Royals spokesperson said the two teams are equal partners in the upcoming election.
Jackson County residents will vote April 2 on continuing the 3/8th-cent sales tax that goes to both the Royals and Chiefs for another 40 years.
The Royals want to use that revenue to build a new ballpark somewhere in downtown Kansas City. The Chiefs, meanwhile, plan to renovate Arrowhead Stadium.
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The Royals haven’t announced where specifically they plan to build their new stadium. But as part of a letter of intent that team leaders signed, they’re supposed to announce their decision by Feb. 29.
However, absentee voting in person with an excuse or requesting a ballot by mail begins Feb. 20 for this election. Election day is April 2.
“Me personally? The way it stands right now with them going downtown, I would vote no,” Independence Mayor Rory Rowland told FOX4 Thursday when asked how he plans to vote.
Rowland said he’s only talked to one Eastern Jackson County voter that would like for the Royals stadium to go downtown. He said the Royals are going to need an incredible campaign to get people to vote yes.
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However, the Chiefs and the Royals will both be on the same ballot question, and if voters say yes, the Royals will get their ballpark money while the Chiefs will get stadium renovation money.
“Everybody loves the Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes is amazing,” Rowland said. “You know if Patrick Mahomes goes out and promotes it, it may in fact [pass], but we’ll have to see what the campaign is. But right now as it stands, if we have the vote tomorrow, it would not pass.”
