With Jackson Countians voting on Tuesday, April 2, on a 3/8-cent stadium sales tax extension that would generate more than $2 billion over 40 years, voters can expect to see lots of TV ads and lots of mailers coming to homes.
The Royals and Chiefs have already poured a million dollars each into the campaign. The latest Missouri Ethics Commission campaign finance reports are due Monday, March 25. They will reveal who else, if anybody, has contributed to The Committee to Keep the Chiefs and Royals in Jackson County.
The report also will detail where the committee has spent its money. Campaign reports will further detail money raised by stadium opponents, the Committee Against New Royals Stadium Taxes.
Both sides will also be sprinting to get their respective messages out to the public before next week's vote.
The Save The Crossroads organization has a free concert at The Brick downtown on Monday at 6 p.m. "A vote NO defends small businesses, and promotes alternate plans for a new Royals Stadium that are more beneficial to the community as a whole," the group wrote on its website.
On Tuesday at 6 p.m., Jackson County Legislator Manny Abarca IV will hold a town hall on the Royals community benefits agreement at the Westport Roanoke Community Center (3601 Roanoke Road) in Kansas City.
Also on Tuesday is a Royals-Chiefs community conversation at 2000 Vine Street in the Historic 18th and Vine District, from 5:30-7 p.m.
KC Tenants, which is organizing against the tax, is recruiting people to canvass ahead of the April 2 election. The group is holding a discussion, in both English and Spanish, at the Northeast branch of the Kansas City Public Library (6000 Wilson Avenue) at 6 p.m. on Tuesday to hear how people feel about the tax and the stadium in general.
Royals owner John Sherman will be at Johnny's Tavern in the Power & Light District Wednesday at 5 p.m., according to a post on X by the restaurant. Sherman will "discuss the Royals vision for the Downtown Stadium and surrounding development," according to the post.
The Kansas City Downtown Neighborhood Association has released results of an email and online poll of its members that shows 57% of downtown residents are opposed to the proposed downtown ballpark, 30% are in favor and 13% are a maybe.
The Chiefs have said the team will use its portion of the tax money for improvements at and around Arrowhead Stadium.
Early voting is underway. In Kansas City, there are three locations: the Kansas City Election Board office at the Shops on Blue Parkway, United Believers Community Church on 112th Terrace near Hickman Mills Dr. and The Whole Person at 37th and Main.
The rest of Jackson County can vote early at the county election office on Liberty Street in Independence. A government ID is required.
