The battle between the residents of Jackson County, Mo., and the Royals and Chiefs is getting ugly.
Following county residents voting down a tax measure to help fund a new stadium for the Royals and renovate the Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium, the wife of Royals owner John Sherman said the teams are done working with the county and threatened a move to Kansas.
“Unfortunately neither team will work with Jackson County again,” Marny Sherman posted Wednesday on Facebook, as captured by KMBC in Kansas City.
“They had been working behind the scenes for two years attempting to get a location approved. Which was I think (Jackson County Executive) Frank White’s plan all along. In any case most unfortunate for sports fans in KC. The lack of leadership has lost the city two treasured assets. I mean if you don’t support the Chiefs after 3 Super Bowl wins why would they stay? We will be lucky if both teams wind up in Kansas. At least still in the area!”
A source told the outlet that Marny’s comments reflected the feelings of those in the negotiations on the Royals and Chiefs side.
The future of the Royals and Chiefs in Kansas City is now uncertain after more than 58 percent of Jackson County residents rejected replacing the current three-eights of a cent sales tax on the Truman Sports Complex — which has housed the Royals’ Kauffman Stadium and Arrowhead for more than 50 years — with a similar tax for the next 40 years, as chronicled by the Associated Press.
Citizens had concerns about the location of the Royals’ new stadium, how the franchises conveyed their approach and the construction details, per the Associated Press.
The Royals have offered $1 billion toward what will be a cost of at least $2 billion for a new downtown stadium, while using the tax revenue to cover the remainder, per the AP report.
The Chiefs have pledged $300 million in “private money” toward what will be an $800 million renovation project of their stadium.
The Truman Sports Complex lease runs through Jan. 31, 2031, and John has already said the Royals will not play at Kauffman Stadium beyond the 2030 season, per the reports.
“We’re deeply disappointed as we are steadfast in our belief that Jackson County is better with the Chiefs and the Royals,” John said, according to the AP.
The report states the Chiefs want to stay at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Chiefs could counter with a new plan, add more private investment or consider moving from Kansas City to a new location — including Kansas, as Marny warned, per the AP.
The outlet wrote “Officials in Kansas have not been shy about trying to woo the Chiefs across the state line,” while mentioning Nashville as a potential locale for the Royals.
Chiefs President Mark Donovan said: “We will look to do what is in the best interest of our fans and organization as we move forward.”
He added: “We’ve been talking a lot about the democratic process. We respect the process. 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.”
Chiefs owner Clark Hunt is hopeful the Chiefs stay in their current location.
“What my dad (Lamar Hunt) loved best about the stadium was the connection the team had with our fanbase,” Hunt said, according to the Associated Press. “He loved this building for what it means to the fans, and we still believe it is one of the best stadiums in the National Football League and a bucket-list destination for fans across the NFL.”