Chiefs Leaving Kansas City? The NFL Team's Future Hangs in the Balance After Crucial Vote Goes Sideways
The Kansas City Chiefs are currently sitting on top of the world of sports after winning three Super Bowls in the past five seasons, including the last two.
But in spite of the success and the team’s identity being deeply rooted in the Midwest city, the team could realistically explore finding a new home after Jackson County voters refused to foot the bill for renovations to Arrowhead Stadium on Tuesday.
KCTV reported an initiative to extend a sales tax to keep the stadium up to date and to build Major League Baseball’s Kansas City Royals a new stadium was opposed at the ballot box by 58 percent of voters.
The city’s CBS affiliate reported county voters who showed up to the polls said no 78,352 compared to the 56,606 who voted for the tax extension.
As NBC Sports noted, Chiefs president Mark Donovan had said before the initiative went to a vote that his team was not committed to staying if the city didn’t pay up.
A majority of voters were seemingly unaffected by the prospect of losing their city’s winning NFL franchise.
Donovan issued a statement after the votes were tallied but did not offer any indication if the team would begin to look elsewhere or was fully committed to Kansas City.
“We respect the process. We respect the decision of the Jackson County voters,” Donovan said in a statement on Tuesday evening.
“We’re disappointed. We feel we put forth the best offer for Jackson County,” Donovan added.
“We were ready to extend the longstanding partnership that the teams have enjoyed with this county.”
Donovan concluded the Chiefs would “look to do what is in the best interest of our fans and our organization as we move forward.”
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas vowed to find a solution in a statement he posted on social media.
Quinton implied that his city’s voters wanted to work with the team, but that the process that led to Tuesday’s vote was flawed.
“The people of Kansas City and Jackson County love the Chiefs and the Royals,” the mayor said. “Today, they rejected plans and processes they found inadequate.”
Quinton concluded, “Over the months ahead, I look forward to working with the Chiefs and Royals to build a stronger, more open, and collaborative process that will ensure the teams, their events and investments remain in Kansas City for generations to come.”
According to KCTV, the Royals are under contract in the city until January 2031 and have said they will not play in the aging Kauffman Stadium after the 2030 season.
Per the outlet’s Greg Dailey, the Chiefs are “hopeful of remaining at Arrowhead Stadium” going forward.
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