The Kansas City Chiefs didn’t waste much time in letting the citizens of Jackson County know elections have consequences. They dropped a few hints about their plans to explore a move from Arrowhead Stadium when their lease is up in 2030.
Citizens voted overwhelmingly to discontinue a 3/8-cents sales tax in Jackson County that would have paid for upgrades for the Chiefs and a new ballpark for the Kansas City Royals.
Mark Donovan spoke after the election loss
Chiefs president Mark Donovan spoke to the media following the election loss. Donovan said the Chiefs were unhappy with the election results but respected the voter’s decision. Per video posted by Sports Radio 810 WHB:
“First and foremost, we’ve been talking a lot about the democratic process. We respect the process. We respect the decisions of the Jackson County voters today,” Donovan said. “We’re disappointed. We feel we put forth the best offer for Jackson County. We were ready to extend the longstanding partnership the teams have enjoyed with this county.”
Donovan said the Chiefs would look out for their best interests after losing access to hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars.
“We will do and will look to do what is in the best interest of our fans and our organization as we move forward,” Donovan said.
“We will do and will look to do what is in the best interest of our fans and our organization as we move forward.”
The Kansas City Chiefs have a few options
Donovan said that leading up to the vote, one way the team would look out for its best interests if the referendum failed was to explore options to move from Arrowhead Stadium and Jackson County. Per Dave Skretta with the Associated Press, the Chiefs have a few possibilities after losing the tax vote:
“The Chiefs could try again with a reworked plan more agreeable to voters, change their entire funding approach to include more private investment, or they could even listen to offers from competing cities and states — such as Kansas, just across the state line to the west — that would provide the public funding they desire.”
The Kansas City Chiefs could move away after 2030
The Chiefs retweeted a message from the X account of Yes On 1 Jackson Co. The message clearly indicates that the outcome of “yes” was the only way Jackson County would for sure keep the Chiefs and Royals in the future:
“We respect the voters of Jackson County and the results of the election today. We are deeply disappointed, as we are steadfast in our belief that Jackson County is far better off with the Chiefs and the Royals. We thank all who worked on this election for their time and commitment. We will take some time to process the outcome and reassess our options.”
It’s not a foregone conclusion that the Chiefs will leave Arrowhead Stadium after 2030. However, it is a real possibility they will. The Chiefs are not backing down from their rhetoric about potentially leaving after losing the vote on Tuesday night.
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