Opinion | Jackson County voters rightfully reject Chiefs, Royals sales tax
Editorial: As seen in volume 112, issue 12 of The Collegian.
April 3 was Election Day for voters in Jackson County, Mo. — and one proposition in particular dominated headlines in the lead-up to poll closings: Whether a sales tax would be passed and imposed on county residents to fund upgrades to Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs, and a new ballpark for the Kansas City Royals.
That morning, the Chiefs and Royals jointly posted on their social media platforms a graphic with a caption that read, “KC, get out and vote [yes] today to keep the Chiefs and Royals in Jackson County!” By the end of the night, Jackson County voters responded with a resounding rejection — option “NO” carried 58.06% of the vote, according to Ballotpedia.
And despite the Chiefs’ back-to-back Super Bowl victories and a surging start to the Royals’ 2024-2025 campaign (the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise is over .500 as of Friday for the first time in what feels like forever), both organizations are now facing the previously unimaginable but increasingly realistic scenario of being forced out of Missouri.
While the result is certainly a tough blow to a pair of professional sports teams held near and dear to the hearts of many Kansas Citians, it is just as certainly the correct decision. Not only were the proposed plans for stadium upgrades released by both teams rushed and mostly unnecessary (nearly half of the Chiefs’ upgrades were related to parking), but the National Football League (NFL) and MLB are private entities that consist of privately owned franchises, so why should public funds be used for such projects?
On top of that, sales taxes are typically designed to last well beyond their use. In this case, Question 1 called for the 3/8th-cent tax to be extended from 2031 to 2064, which is far too lofty of a commitment for taxpayers to make — especially for such a thrown-together plan of action.
I’m not one to constantly rail against big business. In fact, I believe they do more good than harm to the American economy. However, the voters in Jackson County set a strong example for the rest of the United States when it comes to holding that big business accountable: Do your research, value local politics, and make millionaires pay for their own stadiums and stadium upgrades.