Kansas City Chiefs fans will have to pay for stadium renovations one way or another.
The Kansas City Chiefs will get a new-look stadium before their lease runs up after the 2031 season. Arrowhead Stadium is one of the more recognizable venues in the NFL, but Chiefs ownership has argued that it’s run its course. The Hunt family received plenty of help from the state legislature to ensure they don’t move into a neighboring state. However, that aid includes something Chiefs fans never asked for – taxpayer dollars in the project.
The Chiefs essentially have a bidding war on their hands, with the Royals likely moving alongside them. Both franchises are deciding whether they want to play in Kansas or Missouri. Per ESPN, lawmakers in Kansas have authorized up to 70 percent of the new stadium costs in their state. The slowmovement by the Missouri state legislature opened the door for this possibility. The offer from Kansas is set to expire at the end of the month, while the Missouri legislature suggested bonds covering up to 50 percent of the cost. Either way, taxpayers will be covering a decent portion of that cost.
Taxpayers backed into a corner with Chiefs stadium chaos
If the Chiefs do stay in Missouri, the Hunt family floated the idea of a $1.15 billion stadium renovation. The deal is paired with disaster relief in the state, which lawmakers believe will get passed. However, as ESPN noted in their story, the bill received some pushback, as it provides a discount to billionaire sports franchise owners.
“The legislation did face some bipartisan pushback from those who described it as a subsidy for wealthy franchise owners. Others raised concerns that a property tax break for homeowners, which was added in the Senate to gain votes, violates the state constitution by providing different levels of tax relief in various counties while excluding others entirely,” the article read.
Chiefs fans didn’t ask for a stadium renovations, but could foot the bill
Missouri governor Mike Kehoe signed the bill this weekend, hoping to persuade the Chiefs and Royals to remain in Missouri rather than take the deal offered by Kansas. The Chiefs are in a unique position, pinning two states against each other in hopes of building a stadium for a quarter of the cost. It’s the ugly business of sports economics, and while both the Royals and Chiefs bring revenue to the Kansas City area, it also costs the taxpayers a lot of money.
For fans of the Chiefs and Royals in Missouri, seeing either leave for Kansas wouldn’t be ideal, either. Generations of supporters have watched the Chiefs play at Arrowhead. Any other reality would be soul-crushing, even if their new home is a mere miles away.
While the Hunt family can use Kansas and Missouri lawmakers as leverage, the fans end up hurt in the end, both financially and emotionally.
