JaxCo legislator eyes November sales tax question for Chiefs stadium funding

A Jackson County legislator is working to place a sales tax question on the November ballot to secure funding for a Kansas City Chiefs stadium project.

Manny Abarca IV, who represents the county's first district, plans to introduce two ordinances related to the matter on Wednesday. The ordinances will then be heard May 13 by the full Jackson County Legislature.

One of the ordinances asks Jackson County voters to authorize a 3/16-cent sales tax for 30 years to help retain the Chiefs in the county.

The second ordinance asks voters to authorize a 3/8-cent sales tax for 40 years for the same purpose.

Abarca's efforts come about a month after Jackson County voters soundly rejected Question 1 , a 3/8-cent sales tax that would've helped fund stadium projects for both the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals.

In the months leading up to the April 2 vote, the teams had collaborated to convince residents to vote "Yes."

Chiefs CEO and Chairman Clark Hunt said over the weekend the team would move forward independently from the Royals on stadium plans.

The ordinances Abarca plans to introduce do not include funding for the Royals.

Both teams said they would explore options outside Jackson County after Question 1 failed.

This week, Kansas lawmakers worked to pass a bill with hopes of luring the Chiefs and Royals to Kansas.

The bill, which would've used STAR Bond projects to pursue the teams and stadium projects, did not pass out of the Kansas Legislature before the 2024 session ended despite conversations going late into Tuesday night.

The legislature said a special session could be called to continue working on the issue.

Abarca pointed to the Kansas lawmakers' efforts as one of the reasons for wanting to introduce the new ordinances at this time.

"I think it is a good, sobering reminder we can’t sit on our hands and wait for something to happen," Abarca said. "We have to be actively ready to have these discussions when the time is right, and the time is now."

Both the Chiefs and Royals declined to comment on the matter.

Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr., who strongly opposed Question 1, addressed Abarca's plans in a statement, questioning their legality.

In light of recent developments regarding a new attempt to introduce a parks sales tax by County Legislator Manny Abarca, I feel compelled to address the residents of Jackson County directly. Less than a month ago, a similar proposal was resoundingly rejected at the ballot, a loss that should have served as a costly but clear lesson.

Over $1 million of taxpayer money was squandered on an unnecessary election — an amount I had hoped would be the most expensive lesson ever learned by those who championed it. Yet, it appears that Legislator Abarca remains undeterred and unconcerned about wasting more taxpayer dollars.

“t is evident that the games have not ended. As long as Legislator Abarca continues to mislead the public, ignore legal restrictions and favor the interests of the affluent and influential over those who elected him, he poses a risk to our community. The law is explicit: no proposal for a parks sales tax can be resubmitted to voters within 12 months of its previous rejection. This statute is designed to respect the voter’s decision and ensure responsible governance, but it seems to be ignored.

As County Executive, I am committed to doing everything within my power to prevent further reckless actions by Mr. Abarca. However, I cannot do this alone. I call upon my colleagues on the legislature, the media and the public to assist in this effort. I urge media outlets to exercise diligence and not propagate narratives unsupported by facts.

Jackson County deserves better. We must stand together to ensure that our fiscal policies and electoral processes reflect the integrity and prudence that our citizens expect and deserve.

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