As Jackson County gets ready to vote on whether to extend a sales tax that will generate $2 billion over 40 years, residents have heard from billionaire owners and top city and county officials about the benefits.
The Royals say a Crossroads ballpark will be boon for downtown.
The Chiefs say the fan experience at Arrowhead will improve.
Business owners, workers and others with a stake in the project have weighed in, either for or against.
One thing is clear from campaign finance reports: The matchup is Little League versus Big League as far as money is concerned. The teams have contributed a total of $3 million to their own cause, while opponents of the tax have raised $11,511.
Ultimately, the outcome of the vote on April 2 is up to people like Davita Haynes. “They started their campaign with, well, if you vote no we’re going to lose the Chiefs and the Royals. That shouldn’t be a factor,” she said.
Haynes lives in Kansas City’s Historic Northeast and according to the campaign finance report from the Committee Against New Royals Stadium Taxes, she donated $5 to the 'vote no' effort — the smallest donation on either side. “I’m a poor person so it meant a lot to be able to pay what I could,” she said.
The final report before Tuesday’s election shows that the Committee to Keep the Chiefs and Royals in Jackson County has spent $2.8 million of the $3 million raised — $1.5 million from each team.
Almost $2 million went to the Washington D.C. media firm GMMB. The company worked with Presidents Biden, Obama and Clinton, according to its website. GMMD produced the TV ads that are everywhere and feature Chiefs and Royals stars.
Of the $11,511 raised by the Committee Against New Royals Stadium Taxes, about 20% of the donations were $10.
Much of its money was spent on Facebook ads.
Separate from the "vote no" committee, KC Tenants has spent $75,000 on TV ads. “It’s a pretty big figure for us, yes,” spokesperson Magda Werkmeister said. KC Tenants will also spend $30,000 on two mailers before Tuesday, she said.
"Vote yes" has also spent $414,496 on "canvassing,” according to its expenditure report.
Door knocking by KC Tenants is being done by volunteers. “A very different approach than the Royals and Chiefs,” Werkmeister said.
KC Tenants said it has also bought ads in the Kansas City Star, both digital and print, and the print edition of The Next Page KC. The ad calls the teams’ process “sloppy and incomplete.”
Davita Haynes has a "vote no" sign in her yard and a Chiefs flag on her door. She stresses she is a fan of both clubs. She just thinks Royals owner John Sherman and Chiefs owner Clark Hunt “have enough money,” and why should she and her children subsidize stadiums over the next 40 years? Haynes solution is simple: “I personally feel like they should just fix the stadiums that they have.”
