Kansas City Chiefs

Advocates kick off effort for stadium taxes

Politicians, civic boosters and professional sports executives on Thursday kicked off a campaign to persuade Jackson County voters to approve $1 billion in tax increases to finance a roof over Arrowhead and Kauffman stadiums, extensive renovations and 25 years' worth of future upgrades.

Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes highlighted the potential of hosting Super Bowl games, All-Star baseball games, college championship tournaments and extreme sport competitions at a roofed and renovated Truman Sports Complex.

"What if the Jayhawks - or maybe the Tigers - could make it to the Final Four, and that Final Four was held right here in Kansas City?" Barnes said.

Jackson County voters will decide April 4 on two tax proposals.
Question 1 seeks a three-eighths-cent sales tax that would raise an estimated $850 million to pay off at least $425 million in construction bonds as part of a $575 million concourse expansion plan at the sports complex. Excess taxes will pay interest and help pay for ongoing repairs, upgrades and renovations.

Question 2 calls for raising $200 million with a tax on goods used inside Jackson County but bought outside Missouri. The use tax would finance a rolling roof capable of making Arrowhead an indoor stadium or of sheltering Kauffman Stadium from sun or rain.

The Kansas City Chiefs have been seeking a roof as part of stadium improvements since Nov. 17, when NFL owners decided to give Arrowhead Stadium a Super Bowl game in 2015 or 2017 if the stadium has a climate-controlled enclosure by 2010.