Despite the deluge of headlines reporting that the Kansas City Chiefs are moving to Kansas, new Kansas City, Kansas, Mayor Christal Watson told residents that no final decisions have been made or agreements signed.
Watson said in a December 26 Facebook post that the county won’t be rushed into a decision or negotiate terms in the press. The Wyandotte County Commission must approve the STAR (Sales Tax And Revenue) bonds and “This has NOT happened yet,” she wrote.
“At this moment in time, we are asking hard questions, we are reviewing information carefully, we are weighing long-term impacts — not just what sounds good today but what truly serves Wyandotte County years from now,” Watson said.
Last week Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced that the Chiefs would build the NFL team’s new $3 billion domed stadium in Wyandotte County, funded by over $2 billion in STAR bonds and some private investment. Although a final site has not yet been announced, it’s expected to be built near The Legends, a regional shopping mall and commercial area in the Village West development in Kansas City, Kansas.
The total project is worth $4 billion when including a new team headquarters and training facilities, which will be built in Olathe in Johnson County. Olathe officials have not yet voted on the proposal, either.
According to the Kansas Department of Commerce, STAR bonds are a financing tool that allows Kansas municipalities to issue bonds to finance the development of projects, in hopes of increasing tourism. The bonds are paid off through the development’s sales tax revenues.
Asked for comment on Watson's post, state Department of Commerce spokesman, Pat Lowry, said, “The next step in this process of bringing the Chiefs to Kansas is for the local governments of Wyandotte County and Olathe to engage the public about the project’s benefits before taking the opportunity to approve the STAR Bonds.”
Darryll Dean lives in Shawnee, just a mile from Wyandotte County line. Though the entertainment district boundaries for the sales tax have not yet been announced, Shawnee falls within the area of Johnson County expected to be included.
Dean, waiting in line on Tuesday for lunch at Slap’s BBQ in Kansas City, Kansas, said he doesn’t support using sales tax for the stadium because local governments haven’t efficiently used such funds in the past.
“They have a track record of not being good stewards of our resources, which is our money, our effort, our sweat,” Dean said. “They haven't proved that they could be good stewards of the money.”
Ken Yeager works in Kansas City, Kansas, in sales and thinks that a slight tax increase won’t have much of an impact, especially since all local cities and counties do it.
“Let’s put it this way,” Yeager said. “They’re moving from I-435 and I-70 to I-435 and I-70.”
Adena Connor, a Kansas City, Kansas resident, said when people hear the “Kansas City Chiefs,” they already think the team is in Kansas. So now it’s time to make that true, she said.
“I'm confident that it'll be OK for me because I'm a Kansas native and I want the Chiefs over here in Kansas,” she said.
Watson said she will continue to listen to residents’ concerns, and will seek more information on whether the stadium could increase property taxes, which some people fear.
“My personal stance is that if there is even the slightest chance that this deal will raise property taxes — as a result of the ongoing public safety and infrastructure requirements for around the stadium — we need to change the terms of the agreement to benefit our people,” Watson said.
