Kansas City Council

Officials are pursuing the change after learning that the city’s public safety sales tax would not cover an all-new jail and other key projects as planned.

A key part of Kansas City’s financing for a new downtown ballpark relies on evidence of blight in one of the city’s top tourist areas. Critics of the tax incentive say the deal ignores blight in underserved neighborhoods and saps future city funds that could be used to address it.

Kansas City staff used a graphic of a rack of ribs to show how increased tax revenues from a "stadium impact area" could help pay Kansas City's share of construction costs. Economics and public policy experts say it's flawed logic: "These are magic ribs."

One part of City Council's financing plan authorizes $615 million in bonds to fund the future stadium in Crown Center. Another creates a "stadium impact area," where certain future tax revenue increases will be redirected to pay off the debt.

Kansas City Council could redirect certain tax dollars from parking spaces, Westside restaurants, energy companies, and more for the next 30 years to help pay for a new Royals ballpark in Crown Center. The council's finance committee advanced the ordinance on Tuesday.

The workers’ rights group who brought forward the petition to have citizens vote say a “for” vote will force city leaders to put the planned Royals stadium in front of voters. The mayor disagrees.

Kansas City's plan to pay back the $600 million it will borrow for or spend on the Royals stadium at Crown Center relies on tax revenue that wouldn’t exist without the new ballpark.

Andrea Bough, who represented the 6th District at-large, has departed the City Council to lead the city’s economic development agency. She is being replaced by former Mayor Pro Tem Kevin McManus.

The 11-page "community impact partnership agreement" commits at least $55 million to Kansas City over 30 years — approximately 9 cents back for every dollar the city is investing. Here’s what the public gets and how it compares to other deals.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas joined KCUR's Up To Date to discuss the city council's $600 million funding package for a new Royals ballpark, what he'd like to see in the city's next police chief, the future of the Country Club Plaza and more.

Sports economists looking at the $600 million deal between the Royals and the Kansas City Council aren’t very impressed. The quickly-passed measure leaves many unanswered questions about where the public funds will come from, how much risk Kansas City will take on, and if the economic benefits will actually pan out.

The Kansas City Council voted 11-2 to commit $600 million to the Royals for a new ballpark. Here’s a look at the political and financial math behind the deal.