KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr. is asking the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals to pick up a $1 million tab help cover the costs of fees associated with an April 2 election.
The election notably features a question asking voters to approve a 3/8-cent sales-tax that will be used to fund stadium projects of the teams.
White penned a letter to Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt and Royals Owner John Sherman requesting the team's pitch in for the costs.
"As the steward of Jackson County’s fiscal health and community welfare, I am faced with the immediate concern of covering the $1,000,000 cost associated with conducting this unplanned special election — an expenditure not accounted for in our fiscal year 2024 budget," White said in the letter to Clark and Hunt. "This unforeseen expense necessitates consideration of drawing from our emergency reserves, a decision that poses a significant dilemma given our commitment to safeguarding the county's financial stability."
READ | White's letter to Clark Hunt and John Sherman
The April 2 election includes several other school and city races, but the stadium sales tax is the only county-wide question on the ballot.
The $1 million White is asking the teams for would cover $981,003 in fees Jackson County was charged to place it on there.
The Kansas City and Jackson County Election Boards charge any entity like school boards and municipalities to place items on ballot.
Jackson County legislators voted in January to override White's veto of an ordinance that placed the question on the ballot.
White has been critical of sales-tax, consistently questioning if it's in the best interest of Jackson County residents.
A yes vote repeals a current 3/8-cent sales tax that's been in effect since 2006 and replaces it with a new tax of the same rate for 40 years.
The political committee representing the teams and pushing for the sales-tax to pass released a statement on X (formerly Twitter) addressing White's letter.
"Frank White has repeatedly tried to prevent the Chiefs and Royals from staying in Jackson County… The Chiefs and the Royals are focused on finalizing leases and a CBA to extend and enhance our 50-year partnership with Jackson County, including more than $1.3 billion in private funding committed between the two teams that will spur thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions in labor income annually," the statement said. "All with no increase in taxes. Political antics should not stand in the way of those benefits."
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