On April 2nd, 2024, voters went to the polls to vote on a few school district officials… and the continuation of a tax to help fund a new stadium in the Crossroads. The Royals brass has committed to community benefits agreements and a plethora of caveats. It wasn’t enough to sway voters as they voted pretty heavily against the stadium tax.
Final Numbers
With unofficial reports coming in, the vote has failed with 58% of voters deciding against the ballot measure. There was hope amongst the “Yes” contingent that early voting ballots would favor their opposition. This thought was accompanied by the idea that the day of voters would sway their side. 30,000 voters showed up for the “No” side opposed to 22,000 in favor of the stadium tax. The measure held little chance with 24% of voters turning out in an inflated mid-year election turnout.
Royals owner John Sherman put out a statement following the results of the election. It may ease any fan concern about team relations souring. While no promises are made to the people of the county, it does appear to offer an olive branch. The team will have multiple election cycles to earn the support of the residents of Jackson County before their lease is up in 2030.
The Chiefs Response
The Chiefs’ side of the stadium tax was a little less progressive in their statement. According to Sam McDowell, The Chiefs’ President Mark Donovan felt as though there was no better offer to be given to voters of the county. This appears to mean that fans will have to wait to see what improvements can be made to any future ballot measures. Donavan’s statement seems to indicate that the teams did not have contingencies in place to increase fan support post-April 2nd.
There are two more election cycles in 2024 and another election in February 2025 for this measure to appear again in the next calendar year. The teams have their work cut out for them. With a presidential election in 2024, there projects to be more voters in coming cycles. They fell just over 8,000 votes short this time. They can bolster or hurt their support by appealing to voters who have yet to appear on the ballots in 2024. A stadium will take time to build, however. The coming years will be crucial for both sides to reach a compromise.
Image credit: Charlie Riedel, Associated Press
