John Rizzo has spent more than a decade representing the Kansas City area in the Missouri General Assembly, serving as the Senate Minority Leader over the last four legislative sessions.
Now, as he leaves Jefferson City at the end of his term limits, Rizzo is set to take over as the executive director of the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority. The organization operates as the landlord of the Truman Sports Complex, home of Kauffman and Arrowhead stadiums.
Rizzo told KCUR that his priority will be to rebuild relationships between community stakeholders that faltered ahead of the failed Chiefs and Royals stadium sales tax vote in early April.
"There are a lot of people that are still a little raw from the way that the vote happened just this past spring," Rizzo said. "I mean, the county has fought a little bit with the teams, the teams fought a little bit with the county, the city has been out there doing different things."
Rizzo says the campaign for the Royals' downtown stadium moved too fast for voters. But he still thinks the team has time to build a new plan that works for everyone.
"I just think everyone needs to take a step back and start to realize that we all need to get together and figure out one pathway forward," he says.
Rizzo has not yet signed his contract, but is slated to start his new job in July.
- Missouri Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo, incoming executive director of the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority
