With one week to go until Jackson County taxpayers decide to extend a sales tax for the benefit of the local baseball and football teams, the local baseball and football teams has issued a reminder as to the stakes.
In a lengthy letter to the Jackson County Legislature (posted on X and re-posted by the Chiefs), which mainly takes aim at Jackson County Executive Frank White, the Chiefs and Royals make it clear that, if next week’s vote fails, “we will explore all options for where we will play come 2031.”
The letter complains that White has dragged his feet on stadium construction/renovation deals, and that he initially vetoed the ballot measure that takes the question of extending the sales tax to a public vote. The teams also accuse him of “false motives.”
The two-page letter likewise reviews the various economic benefits the teams bring to Jackson County through normal operations — and through the stadium projects the sale-tax extension would fund.
It’s still going to take a lot more than a letter to get a broader swath of the community to support the tax. Despite the local popularity of any sports team, there are plenty of people who just don’t care. And who just don’t want to pay for things that the teams can pay for themselves.