KC Chiefs' Future at Arrowhead Stadium in Question After Jackson County Votes Against Tax

After Jackson County voters rejected a sales tax to benefit renovations for the Kansas City Chiefs and a new stadium for the KC Royals, the future of both teams became murky.

Feb 14, 2024; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general overall aerial view of Arrowhead Stadium (foreground) / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

On April 2, voters in Jackson County, Missouri, rejected a ballot question that would have replaced an existing three-eighths of a cent sales tax with a new three-eighths of a cent sales tax that would have extended for the next 40 years. The existing tax has been used on the Truman Sports Complex, the home of the Kansas City Royals' Kauffman Stadium and the Kansas City Chiefs' Arrowhead Stadium. The extended tax would have contributed to renovations for Arrowhead and a new downtown stadium for the Royals in Kansas City's Crossroads district.

The current lease for both teams runs through Jan. 31, 2031, but now the Chiefs and Royals will both explore their potential options as the teams reassess their future homes.

After "no" won with more than 58% of the vote, Chiefs president Mark Donovan spoke on behalf of the Chiefs and said the team "will look to do what is in the best interest of our fans and our organization as we move forward."

“We’ve been talking a lot about the democratic process. We respect the process,” Donovan said. “We feel we put forth the best offer for Jackson County. We’re ready to extend the longstanding partnership the teams have enjoyed with this county.”

Dave Skretta of The Associated Press wrote about what those plans could entail for the Chiefs:

"That could mean many things: 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," Skretta wrote.

After the voting results were in, Nate Taylor of The Athletic shared a quote from Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt from a conversation held the week prior:

"Our belief is that the voters are going to approve the extension of the sales tax," Hunt said. "We’re not focused on what happens if it doesn’t pass. But certainly, we’ll have to consider all of our alternatives."