Royals, Chiefs Not Committed To Staying In Kansas City Without Stadium Improvements

Neither the Kansas City Chiefs or the Kansas City Royals are fully committed to staying in their market without more public funding. That's according to a new interview with Chiefs President Mark Donovan, who appeared on local television to advocate for passage of a ballot question that would extend a sales tax increase in the region.

Donovan conducted an interview on KSHB 41, where he was asked about an upcoming vote on April 2nd to extend a 3/8 cent sales tax increase through 2064. That increase would help fund stadium improvements to GEHA field at Arrowhead Stadium, as well as provide funding for the Royals to build a new ballpark downtown.

According to KSHB, the Chiefs plan to add a canopy to the upper deck of the stadium, as well as "heating and fans," with a bridge built to "connect the upper concourse." Larger video boards, a parking deck and event space in the existing Kauffman Stadium space would also be constructed. Those upgrades would cost an estimated $800 million, according to the team. 

And the Hunt family, with an estimated net worth of $25 billion, would, in their everlasting generosity, contribute $300 million of the cost. As is so often the case, they're hoping taxpayers will chip in for the rest.

Feb 14, 2024; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general overall aerial view of Arrowhead Stadium (foreground) and Kauffman Stadium at the Truman Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Could Both Chiefs And Royals Leave The Area Without Taxpayer Handouts?

The possibility of both teams leaving the region has been known for several months.

READ: Kansas City Chiefs And Royals Set To Look To New Cities For Stadiums

But the interview with Donovan made a much more concrete threat to voters ahead of the April 2nd initiative. 

Kevin Holmes of KSHB asked Donovan about taxpayer concerns that while cost of living and taxes inevitably increase, they're now being asked to fund more improvements. Donovan defended the vote, saying that these are not new taxes, just an extension of existing ones. Holmes then asked about whether the Royals would leave if the tax extension isn't approved. That's when the threats started.

"I can’t answer that for the Royals," Donovan said. "I just know for us the Chiefs; we would just have to look at all our options." Holmes responded by asking whether those options for the Chiefs included leaving the area.

"I think they would have to include leaving Kansas City," Donovan replied. "But our goal here is, we want to stay here. And we’re willing to accept a deal for the county to actually stay here."

How very generous of them!

Funding Improvements For Billionaires

The Royals previously released images of their proposed new building in downtown Kansas City.

READ: Kansas City Royals Release Images Of Proposed New Stadium

And while it looks great in renderings, the financing will once again have to come from taxpayer handouts. New team owner John Sherman is also worth tens of billions of dollars, meaning he could easily arrange private financing to construct the stadium himself. But why do that when you can get the public to pay for your improvements and new stadium for you?

The playbook here is nothing new; threaten to take fans' favorite teams away if they don't give extremely wealthy business owners massive handouts. It's the same one we've just seen play out in Oakland. 

Owners take advantage of the emotional connection that fans have to their favorite teams, an emotional connection they simply don't have. If there's an opportunity to take in hundreds of millions in free money that's used to increase revenues and profits, they're going to take it. Wherever it comes from.

Whether that money comes from Kansas City taxpayers will be determined in just a few weeks. If only the ownership of both teams, worth nearly $50 billion combined, was willing to pay for things themselves.